


Sharing beds like little kids

by aestaeticism



Series: La la corgi [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Hybrid, Bullying, Fluff, Krisbaek sexual intimacy, M/M, Mentions of sex and sexual intimacy, Tags will be updated if needed, Teenage characters, Underage Drinking, heat - Freeform, slight angst, there's a reason why it's not in the relationships tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2018-11-04 01:04:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 48,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10980120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aestaeticism/pseuds/aestaeticism
Summary: Life as a hybrid is complicated, especially in high school, when things change fast and all you can do is try to catch up, hoping it doesn't hurt too much.





	1. Prologue (or: Things change, and you change with them)

The teacher is pissed. He’s never been too difficult to read, but today his furrowed brows and that twitch on the left side of his lip give him away more than usual. He’s pissed at him, and he has every reason to, Baekhyun understands.

He’s lying down on one of the cots in the nurse office and everything burns. The room, the bed, the sheets, even the school uniform, the white linen shirt sticking to his skin like glue, making it difficult to breathe. There’s a thin veil of sweat on his forehead, nose and cheeks. Too warm. Even the damp towel the nurse uses to give him some relief is making things worse. Baekhyun can see ice blocks in the bowl Hyosung the nurse is holding, but the water is definitely lukewarm on his skin.

“Baekhyun we need to call your family, you have to go home.”

“No, you can’t call them ok? Just don’t.” He answers between pants, as he reaches for Hyosung’s forearm, his fingers clench around it. “Don’t, please?”

It starts in class. It’s a weird buzzing at first, static accumulating in his guts. Baekhyun recognizes it right away, no matter how early some people say he is. He knows it’s the heat, and he hopes he can make it home at least, so he can sneak out and go to Sehun’s and maybe find a solution there. 

His body has other plans, though, the buzzing becoming more and more intense, until it bursts. It’s a spark of static electricity at first, then a fierce, unbearable fire consuming him from inside. The burning travels through is body like gasoline, through tissue, nerves, even his bones are boiling. 

He can’t handle it, he lets his head meet the surface of his desk, no matter how many times the teacher calls him, all he can think of is how to get some relief, any kind of relief, as he squeezes his legs, gasping for air. He hears himself moan and he can feel tears pricking his eyes, as he closes his hands into fists. It’s embarrassing, why does it have to happen at school, of all places? Everyone can smell him, hell, everyone can hear him.

Then he jolts, with a groan, his senses going haywire as he presses himself down on the chair. His hand almost reaches for his crotch, and just when his fingers almost reach between his legs someone pulls his arm up, and he raises his gaze to meet the teacher’s eyes.

He has to carry him in the end, because Baekhyun’s legs won’t cooperate and his erection is too obvious not to be stared at by everyone in class. At least nobody’s snickering.

 

He thrashes on the bed when Hyosung involuntarily touches his hip, his breathing ragged. He wants to rip his skin off, he’s trapped. He wants nothing on his skin, but he wants to be touched, he wants hands roaming on his body. Things he didn’t even know he needed this much before today.  
He whimpers, and he can see the teacher step back. He can smell himself, it’s suffocating for him, he can’t imagine how strong it must be for other hybrids and this teacher, unluckily for him, is a hybrid too.

“It’s procedure.” He says, trying to keep the edge in his voice hidden, as if he wasn’t affected. “They need to take you to the vet, Byun, you need drugs.” 

Baekhyun shakes his head, frantically. They can’t know, he has enough problem with Chanyeol as he does as a hybrid, he doesn’t want the heat to make it worse. They can’t call home. He’s panicking, his limbs shake both from the heat and from the fact that he’s _terrified_. “Nobody’s home right now. Please.”

“Don’t you know someone in school that can help you go home?” Hyosung butts in, and Baekhyun would be really thankful, if it wasn’t that he’s not himself. Hyosung is beautiful, but Baekhyun cannot bring himself to think about her nor her body. 

“We can give you a really bland medicine so you can go back and rest, but you can’t go on your own.” She says, determination in her voice as usual, and Baekhyun sees her glance at the teacher. “Breathe Baekhyun, concentrate. It’s going to be fine.”

She doesn’t wait for the teacher to give his approval as she helps Baekhyun swallow a pill. 

They wait, in silence, Baekhyun’s pants and whimpers are the only sounds in the room. Until the burning cools down enough to clear his head, a low electric vibration in his groin.

“Better, isn’t it?” Hyosung asks, as she brushes his hair away from his forehead. He feels disgusting and he wonders how she’s still here.

“Can’t you give me more of this?” He whispers, desperate.

“No, I’m sorry. You need to go home and rest.” She repeats, as if Baekhyun lost his mind -which is not that far from the truth. “Who do we call, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun groans, more of frustration this one time, as he looks away, trying to ignore the tingling in his fingers, the instinct to touch himself once more.  
“Wu Yifan, third year, class 31.” He says.

He can hear the footsteps of the teacher leaving the room. He wonders if he’s done the right thing, when the heat explodes a couple of hours later, pulls at the strings his sanity and makes him a sweaty, panting mess all over again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Best appreciated if read listening to this! Enjoy! [(cliq!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqWcpEZ3GY0)

“Hey, do you have a smoke?”

Baekhyun looks up from the bottom of the staircase, his tongue playing with the point of the toothpick sticking out of his mouth. School is pretty much deserted after five pm, most of the people taking afternoon classes are gathered in Building 3, while those left to clean Building 1 -which is where Baekhyun has most of his classes- should have gone home by now. Also, everyone leaves Building 1 at record speed because it’s seriously cold outside and the heating system is broken.

Baekhyun hates it. Jaehyung says there must be something wrong with him, since,being a dog hybrid, his body should compensate. Baekhyun’s favorite activity is to show him the middle finger in the most creative ways when he says so. 

“Why do ask every time you see me?” He asks, after pushing the toothpick to the corner of his lips with his tongue.

Baekhyun walks up the stairs lazily, as he shucks his hands in his pockets. He’s wearing one of Chanyeol’s hoodies -a plain, black one- over his uniform. It’s warm, warmer than whatever they used to make their uniforms. So, even though he’s gotten two warnings for wearing it, it’s an habit he doesn’t want to make an effort to fix.

“Because I’m half hoping, half expecting you to start smoking already.” Yifan sends him an amused glance, looking up as Baekhyun walks the length separating them and stops. Yifan is tall, taller than Baekhyun and even taller than Chanyeol, who’s grown a good ten centimeters in only a few months. Anyhow, tall enough for Baekhyun to enjoy the fact that for once he’s sitting and he doesn’t have to crane his head to stare at his face. He has his legs apart, one elbow held up on his knee; the image of a lazy king.

“They’d skin me alive if I did. Plus that shit smells. Doesn’t Junmyeon say anything about his Fanfan smoking?” Baekhyun lets himself glide along the surface of the wall, the hem of his shirt and hoodie lift just enough to bare Baekhyun’s lower back - he rushes to pull it down, as he half eyes Yifan on his right. 

“He’s the one who got me into it. And he’s the one buying them.” He replies languidly, his eyes running along the empty set of stairs before them, the one leading to the roof. He keeps them there for a while, before flicking his gaze to the floor and then dragging it just slightly upper, focusing on Baekhyun’s hands. His fingers are clutching onto a piece of paper of some sort. “What you got there?” he asks. 

Baekhyun shrugs. “Had a fight, they called home. Nobody was there and Chanyeol has changed his number a few times to get some weird text bonus plan. So..” he murmurs, and lets his sentence finish like that, implying that Yifan knows. According to the eyebrow that immediately arches askance on his forehead, however, he doesn’t. “So are they coming here? That’s the call your owners slip, isn’t it?” 

Yifan looks at Baekhyun sideways, one of his hands feeling up the back pocket of his own trousers, obviously in search of something. He groans, miffed, as his hands go back to his thighs, restless. “You sure you don’t have a smoke? What happens to the ones I give you?”

“I eat them. No, I give them to Yu Kwon, from my class. He smokes.” Baekhyun offers as an explanation. Yu Kwon is cool, they’re friends, and sometimes he asks Baekhyun if he smokes. Baekhyun denies he does, but he does have one spare cigarette hidden somewhere, so they trade for homework. It’s fun. He crumples up the piece of paper a little, enough to channel his frustration, not enough to actually damage the paper. “It’s the call your owners slip. They won’t come, though. Mrs Lee would probably just send Yoora instead of Yeol.”

“You get into fights and your owner doesn’t give a shit.” Yifan says, and he takes a deep breath, lowering himself down the wall a little more so that his butt slides forward. “Cool.” He offers, flatly.

Baekhyun shrugs, trying to keep the same flat tone as he replies. “More like he doesn’t know.” He’s not the best actor, he’s aware, but he’s becoming more and more used to pretending he doesn’t give a shit, and Yifan offers a good example of nonchalance to try and imitate.

Still, Yifan doesn’t get the obvious distance between Baekhyun and his owner. As much as he acts cool, Yifan is extremely fond of Junmyeon and it baffles him when Baekhyun wants to act all strong and independent. He doesn’t love the way Baekhyun makes it sound like it’s so cool for your owner not to care that much, and Baekhyun can tell, from the way Yifan offers a skeptical look, as he asks. “Is he blind?”

“Nah, long story. We never talk anyway.” Same shrug, Baekhyun’s mouth curls just the right amount of _who cares_. 

“Mmh.” Yifan hums, and lights up the second Baekhyun fishes out the last of his secret stash of Yifan’s cigarettes from his back pocket. It’s a bit squashed and just slightly crooked, Yifan picks it up and rolls it between two fingers anyway. “Don’t smoke on me, it’s disgusting.”

Yifan cackles as he slips the stick between his lips and bites down on it slightly. His hands search his pockets for a while, until he finally collects a clipper. He sparks the light, and Baekhyun looks at him almost mesmerized, despite his repulsion for the habit. 

“Thanks.” Yifan says around the stick and he takes a quick drag to get the cigarette smouldering. Baekhyun doesn’t know how he never gets caught. Rumors say that Yifan started smoking during his first year of highschool. Two years later and nobody has ever asked him anything, which does sound suspicious, as suspicious as the rumors that want him involved in a relationship with the most popular girl in the school. Baekhyun knows it’s bullshit, mainly because Yifan likes boys, but he never bothers to correct people when they talk about him -it adds to the mystery, he says.

The back of Yifan’s head thunks against the wall. “Good ol’ nicotine.” He says, wrist on his cocked up knee. Baekhyun snorts, mainly because Yifan is seventeen and he just managed to sound sixty. He’s a hybrid, and his great dane ears stick out of his black hair and he still looks like a pup when he shifts. Slightly bigger than Baekhyun, but still a pup.

Yifan flocks his head to the side, one finger poking Baekhyun’s cheekbone, where a bluish purple is starting to bloom on his slightly sunburned cheek. “Ever thought about just .. you know, shut up? They like to pick a fight with you because you never shut up Byun.” He offers. Baekhyun flinches with a gasp, he shimmies away.

Yifan’s impossibly long -to the point they’re creepy, really- fingers poke somewhere on Baekhyun’s shoulder, and the gasp turns into a whimper as Baekhyun’s hand rushes to massage said shoulder. “It hurts, don’t touch it.” He pauses for a second. “You’re so lame Wu.” 

“It’s called self preservation Byun. Do you see split lips and bruises on my face?” He asks, as he takes another drag of smoke. “You don’t, because they hate me shits but they never get the chance to punch me for real.”

“Throwing fists is fun.” Baekhyun retorts, he sounds less convinced than he wanted to. “You should try once.” He continues. 

Yifan shakes his head, flicking a small column of ash on the floor carelessly. They’re leaving soon after anyway, and this corner is hidden enough, nobody ever comes here. “You mean getting punched is fun, Byun. Have you even managed to hit one of them at least?” 

“Once.” He lies. 

“Who?” Yifan hunkers forward, but he’s chuckling already.

“Not relevant.” Baekhyun refuses to meet his eyes, Yifan shakes his head and tugs Baekhyun’s hood until it’s covering his eyes. The hybrid cowers away with a whine, his hands reaching for the hood that’s pressing his ears flat on his head to the point it’s uncomfortable. 

“You haven’t, you’re a baby corgi pup.”

Baekhyun sighs, then he’s careening to the other side, until his head flops onto Yifan’s shoulder and the great dane hybrid reaches to pinch Baekhyun’s ears. “Ouch, don’t pull, I’ll pull your tail.”

Yifan ignores him, but he stops pulling at least. Baekhyun can almost relax. “You haven’t, aren’t I right? You haven't hit anyone, right?” 

He waits a while before giving an answer under the form of his foot stomping on Yifan’s knee, hard. The other howls in pain, pulling said knee up to his chest first, then rubbing it with a pout, one arm lifted up, keeping the cigarette from making any damage. “You’re violent Byun.” He grumbles.

“I know.” Baekhyun’s lips curl up into a grin.

 

High school is nothing different from what Baekhyun expects, in the end it’s not even that different from middle school, except from uniform and books. It’s fine, overall, just a little lonely considering Sehun and Jongin are still stuck in middle school and all of Baekhyun’s friends are humans. Yifan, or Kris, or just Fanfan, as Junmyeon -his owner- likes to call him, just happens to be in the right place at the right time to meet Baekhyun in the back of the gym, near the sinks. 

They don’t click immediately, mostly because Baekhyun is younger and bitter and despite him being a friendly dog hybrid, his human half being mostly antisocial turns him into a loner. Yifan is not a loner himself, but he tends to intimidate those around him. And after he got into a big fight during his first year, Baekhyun learns, people mostly avoid him. He’s nice, though, and he stays after school everyday to play basketball with the school team until he’s exhausted -but he doesn’t pick fights anymore.

 

“I’m home!” Baekhyun says, as he peels off his shoes at the entrance. Yoora peeks through the kitchen door, she cracks a wide smile and disappears again with a cheerful “Hyun is here, mom.” Mrs Lee doesn’t come to greet him personally, but she throws a _welcome back_ without lifting her nose from the most recent harmony novel she's been reading.

Chanyeol’s not home. He never is, after school. At first it felt a bit empty, but Baekhyun has grown used to it after a few months of routine. It’s not that bad, really, it allows him to take as much time as he wants in the shower and then shift into his corgi form. Sometimes he naps on Yoora’s lap, some other times he just explores the house following her around, tail wagging.

They don’t have dinner all together, mostly because Chanyeol has been taking guitar classes after school -it makes Baekhyun a little proud, because he was the one who suggested it in the first place- so he eats something late in front of the tv when he comes back. Baekhyun has taken the habit of waiting for Kris to wrap up his basketball practice, so that the two of them can have dinner in a small cheap restaurant not too far from school.

Chanyeol is different, he’s changed. Jongdae, Kyungsoo even Jongin and Sehun have, although Baekhyun is not sure about himself. Life seems to go so fast, it feels like he blinked and two years have flown by, suddenly he isn’t smiling at moody thirteen years old Chanyeol anymore. Chanyeol is taller now, his laugh is still obnoxiously loud- Baekhyun likes it like that. 

There have been small things, talks which Baekhyun doesn’t know much about, especially after the flu Chanyeol caught, during their last year of middle school. What he knows is that, at some point, Kyungsoo and Jongdae started visiting again, along with Jongin and Sehun, and with the visits the D&D sessions are back.

Baekhyun tosses his bag on the floor of the room in the basement, his eyes hesitating on the cardboard that Kyungsoo uses as Dungeon Master’s screen. He peeps behind it, as he shuks Chanyeol’s hoodie off and starts fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Theres a few miscellanea behind it, from posts it to notes about the quests they have already solved. Kyungsoo is really neat, so everything seems to be in order except for a few of dice. Two dice read twenty, a smaller one reads six. He grins. Kyungsoo is one of those people who would go to Las Vegas and come back with a bag of money won legally. He’s that lucky. Jongdae has the habit of poking Kyungsoo’s butt before rolling the dices sometimes, says it’s where the luck comes from -Kyungsoo definitely hates it.

Baekhyun tells himself he’s only going to sleep for half an hour, then have a long shower and sleep. It’s been a long day, the places where he got hit in the fight at school are sore, and he silently prays that Mrs Lee doesn’t notice the bruise starting to seep through his cheekbone, while they have breakfast the day after.

The bed is soft, the blanket that Chanyeol and Yoora got him for Christmas, with a whole bunch of superheroes on it, is warm on his belly after he hugs it and breathes in. Baekhyun tells himself it’s only going to be an half an hour nap, as he dozes off.

 

He jolts awake when he feels fingers trace the hollows of his ribcage through the blanket, and he flinches. Even under layers of fabric he feels a pang of pain, it's not pleasant at all. He’s too sleepy to promptly react to the touch and properly avoid it, so he makes a noise in between a whine and a mumble, as he pushes Chanyeol’s hand off him. 

“You fell asleep.” 

Baekhyun groans once more, arm bending to cover his eyes. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Chanyeol has a hard time crossing a line between what to do when Baekhyun is a puppy, as in touching his stomach, playing with his paws, booping his nose, and what to do when Baekhyun is a human, as in none of the above. He pokes Baekhyun’s stomach once more, and the other finally recoils with a whimper. “Hurts.”

“Mh?” Baekhyun is not looking at him, but he can tell when Chanyeol is arching an eyebrow simply by the tone of his voice. “Why? What happened? Did you fall?”

He tries to lift the shirt as much as Baekhyun’s body curled up in a ball allows, and that’s when Baekhyun panics, and tries to pull it down again. “I fell, yes.”

“Multiple times. On different surfaces, I bet.” Chanyeol says, his tone almost bitter. “Is someone bullying you again? Should I tell mom? Wait. Does she know?”

Baekhyun sighs, as he sits up, back against the wall. He notices how Chanyeol’s expression shifts imperceptibly at the sight of the slight bruise on his cheek. He’s frowning, definitely not happy.

“I..kinda got into a fight. It’s ok, you should see the other guy.” 

Chanyeol doesn’t laugh, he’s biting the inside of his cheek, Baekhyun’s faint smile fades. “Your mom doesn’t know.”

“And I won’t tell her. Are you really hurt? Can I see?” He asks, as he sits on the edge of the bed. He looks soft, in his huge hoodies and hair going everywhere. And he smells nice, he must have taken a shower. 

Baekhyun slide his shirt off his shoulder, to show the angry bruise forming there and on his ribcage. There’s a few more scratches scattered here and there, but he’s fine overall. “They shoved me against a wall, but it’s fine.”

“It sucks.” Chanyeol retorts, flatly. “It looks really ugly. It’s cool, since I’ve never been beaten up. But really ugly. I kinda want to take you to the vet though. Should we go check the bruises?” He pauses, searching for Baekhyun’s eyes. 

“Cool huh?” He mostly ignores Chanyeol’s question. “Let me tell you, the other guy looks way worse than me.” Lies. He’s not completely positive that Chanyeol believes him. He’s probably doubting Baekhyun, but if he does, he shows no sign of it. “I can try to shift later, and see if it hurts.” He agrees belatedly, mostly because he doesn’t fancy broken ribs and no playing fetch for a month.

“Wow, I wonder if your eye is gonna swell. You’re like.. a stick Hyun, I’m not keen on getting phone calls announcing my best friend’s death.” Baekhyun only pretends not to be absolutely happy that Chanyeol has called him his best friend, he keeps the blank face, snorts folding his arms on his chest. He shouldn't be happy, considering how Chanyeol doesn't exactly shower him with attention most of the time, and how it's also Baekhyun accurately avoiding him most of the time. Chanyeol acts like he's like this to Baekhyun all the time, which he isn't. 

“I won’t die, and can you quit the Hyun you’re a stick shit? It’s annoying. Only because you’re taller than me. Plus I'm fairly built as a corgi.” 

“Well, you are kinda small. Fairly built my ass.” Chanyeol shrugs, hand reaching for Baekhyun’s ears. It’s always the floppy one, he’s got an obsession for that.

“And you’re fat.”

“Not half as fat as your corgi butt. I’m tall and handsome, thank you very much. Now, are you going to shower? I was planning to watch Jurassic Park.”

 

Baekhyun toddles into the livingroom, fluffy butt wiggling left and right. He tentatively walks a bit more briskly than he would normally, to test his bruised side, and the sting from his ribs surprises him enough that he whimpers and Chanyeol props his elbows on his knees, hunkered forward while sitting on the sofa. “Bad?”

Baekhyun doesn’t reply for obvious reasons, but as he ends up waddling towards Chanyeol a bit slower, the pain seems to subside a bit. All that talk with Yifan about Chanyeol not finding out about his fights at school, and here he is, whining like an idiot because he literally can’t help it. His stupid hybrid half wants his human’s attention, where Baekhyun would’ve just concealed the best he could. And it's not like Baekhyun doesn't agree, it's more that he doesn't want to give in to guilty pleasures like demanding Chanyeol’s attention. It’s not the first time he’s gotten himself into a fight, but it’s the first that Chanyeol has noticed.

“We’re going to the vet tomorrow, I’ll skip class.” He pauses, eyeing Baekhyun’s careful walking and his ears flat against his head. “Oh god, don't do that I’ll die from the cute.” He coos. Baekhyun tilts his head to the side and steps back once, as Chanyeol reaches out to pick him up and literally cradle him on his chest. The hybrid tries to wriggle out of his grasp, before giving up with a miffed groan. “Poor fluffy byum.” 

Now, where human Baekhyun would’ve kicked Chanyeol in the stomach, corgi Baekhyun is basking in the attention, his tail wagging among the whines. “You’re a really stupid corgi, you know that right? Why are you whining now?” Chanyeol chuckles, as he holds Baekhyun closer to his face, just to nuzzle on the back of his neck. “Stupid Hyun.”

Baekhyun barks weakly at that, but he cranes his head to lick Chanyeol’s face and squirm, until he finds a good position, horizontally on Chanyeol’s stomach. It’s definitely broader than Baekhyun remembers, and he pops one eye open just to notice how the whole of Chanyeol looks slightly bigger than he remembers.

“Better now?” Chanyeol asks, stroking Baekhyun’s back, scratching his nape. Yep, better now. He replies with a contented huff, and focuses on the tv. They’ve watched this movie countless times, but Chanyeol seems to like it a lot for some reason. Also, he’s tentatively pressing on Baekhyun’s back and sides, until there's a sting and the hybrid jolts in pain before he can notice.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry Hyun, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol hunches forward until he’s basically bent over Baekhyun, keeping him in place as he leaves a smooch on the first patch of fur he can reach, massaging where he’d touched. “You’re really really warm here, we’re definitely going to the vet tomorrow, I think it’s either broken or inflamed.”

He buries his nose into Baekhyun’s fur once more and he takes a heavy breath, and it’s not like Baekhyun is not used to Chanyeol cuddling to him, because he is. It's really rare nowadays but Chanyeol does cuddle him. However he’s definitely getting more attention than he gets usually and it’s too much. If he was human he would probably be blushing, hard. And it would be a lie if he said that he didn’t miss this.

Chanyeol doesn’t say anything, but he keeps carding Baekhyun’s fur throughout the movie. Baekhyun bites his fingers a couple of times, especially when Chanyeol squeezes his bum.  
That doesn’t help much.

 

Chanyeol takes him to the vet and for some reason he thinks that Baekhyun can’t shift back into a human and/or walk by himself. And he's not wrong, not completely at least, considering how grumpy Baekhyun is early in the morning. 

“Hyun would you stop squirming and enjoy the magical ride?”

Baekhyun moves some more, until he can feel Chanyeol hands steady under his paws, then he curls up inside his hoodie, relaxed. He always says he doesn’t like it when Chanyeol takes him around hiding him inside his hoodie, but he loves it. It’s dark and it smells like him, and even though he’s not a very small puppy anymore, he just feels cozy and warm. 

Chanyeol sneaks a finger inside, to graze Baekhyun’s muzzle. “Jongdae and the others are coming over for our weekly session today. I hope he doesn’t drug you that much.”

Baekhyun groans, and he licks Chanyeol’s finger lazily. Oh yeah, the drugs. 

 

By the time they get out of the vet, Baekhyun is positively scared of needles, is probably going to fake that’s he's perfectly fine for the rest of his life and he feels as high as a balloon. Not that he’s ever been high or drunk before, it’s just that he feels incredibly weak and sleepy. He blinks once, twice, blearily.

“Should I piggyback you?” He’s currently walking half hunkered over Chanyeol, half leaning forward, ready to face plant on the sidewalk. He’s making it look more tragic than it is, really, but the floor does feel like lava and he sways a little whenever he closes his eyes to blink. One of Chanyeol’s hands closes around Baekhyun’s hip with just enough strength to keep him up, the other is wrapped around his wrist and is tugging it down lightly, so that the hybrid’s arm stays in place around Chanyeol’s neck. It’s not comfortable, but Chanyeol is not that taller than Baekhyun is, so it could be worse, all things considered. 

“Can’t I just shift?” Baekhyun whines, his cheek pressed against Chanyeol’s shoulder a moment, hanging low the other. He blinks once more and when he opens his eyes again, he’s not sure how many seconds have passed. He’s losing it to the side effects of the drugs, he really wants to sleep, it’s so so easy to let his eyelids slide down, since his legs keep moving anyway. 

They should’ve waited at the vet until the drugs wore out, like the doctor had suggested in the first place. But Baekhyun had to be the stubborn piece of shit he always is, and Chanyeol always lets him have it the way he wants.

“The doctor said it’s best if you don’t shift, since the drugs are making you so groggy. I only asked for a painkiller, I have no idea why he had to give you such a strong one. ” Chanyeol pauses for a second, takes a breath. “Why do I have the feeling that you’re pretending? I didn’t think you would react like this, it’s just drugs. They’re supposed to make you drowsy..but this is..”

“Because I was shaking like an idiot when he was poking me with those needles.” He answers to the first question belatedly, then sighs. “It fucking hurt Yeol. Why the needles? Can’t he use, I don’t know, a beautiful unicorn?”

“Wow.” Chanyeol laughs an airy laugh and Baekhyun can feel him shake his head. “You really are high.” He’s stopped walking by now, hesitating. Baekhyun cranes his neck until their eyes meet, he giggles, mostly because that’s what his brain tells him to do.

“I bet it would take eleven unicorns to erase my bruises.” He slurs, his eyes threatening to close once more. He presses his nose against Chanyeol’s arm, it’s warm.

“Erase your... Oh god, shut up Byun. I should probably tell the doc he’s given you LSD and not painkillers.” It’s not funny and there’s no amusement in Chanyeol’s voice, but Baekhyun laughs anyway. He slouches forward and Chanyeol tries to manhandle him somehow, mostly so that he doesn’t fall. It feels just right for Baekhyun to squirm and recoil with a whine, stepping back. Chanyeol lets him, and Baekhyun sees him through half lidded eyes, standing there, staring, unsure.

“I’m a strong and independent corgi, I won’t be piggybacked.” He bends his knees and before he can manage to make sense of the distance from the floor, he’s already sitting on the sidewalk, with no intention to stand whatsoever. It’s funny to see Chanyeol scowl, his arms crossed. He just knows Baekhyun is doing this on purpose, that he does feel sleepy and ready to pass out, he _is_ exaggerating it. “It does feel weird though, Yeol. I’ve never tried booze but I’m pretty sure this it what it feels like. Unicorns.” 

“Yes, great, unicorns.” He nudges at his leg with his shoe first, then blows air out of his nose. “Oh c’mon Byun, get your ass up.” Baekhyun feels his own lips crack a smile as he looks up, and Chanyeol is hooking one arm under his armpit to gently help him stand. Baekhyun does what he says, his legs a bit wobbly but overall fine -again, tired but not dying. Then Chanyeol kneels in front of him, and tugs Baekhyun’s arm until he’s where he wants him. “This is so weird. We should’ve called mom.” Chanyeol mutters, to which Baekhyun doesn’t reply. He links his hands, his arms resting on Chanyeol’s shoulder until the other stands up. Chanyeol secures his arms hooked under Baekhyun’s legs and stands up slowly, with a huff. 

“Gosh when did you get so heavy?” Chanyeol complains and Baekhyun shrugs. 

“Your mom’s cuisine is really good.” He breathes in, a few strands of Chanyeol’s hair tickling his nose. It’s gotten quite long, he should probably cut it. But then, again, they rarely see each other, today’s an exception. Baekhyun shouldn’t be wanting more, since Chanyeol should be free to live his life as busily as he wants, but he’s sleepy and drugged, so it’s sort of justified if he doesn’t stop what comes out of his mouth.

“Yeol you’re never home. How many unicorns so that we can be friends like before?”

Chanyeol stills, cranes his head the best he can, yet Baekhyun can only get a glimpse of his profile. “What the hell are you saying Hyun?” 

Baekhyun sighs again. “I don’t know..” 

 

They don’t talk much on the way back, Baekhyun dozes off a couple of times after Chanyeol explicitly says that it’s ok if he sleeps a bit, that it’s the meds working. Now that his shoulder and ribs feel numb he allows himself a small nap, that is until he hears Chanyeol fumbling with the keys to open the front door. He sits upright, he tries, still balancing on the other’s shoulders and he wipes the side of his mouth with the back of his sweater. 

_Sticky_.

“You haven’t drooled on my sweater, right Hyun?” Chanyeol’s tone wants to sound intimidating, but Baekhyun can feel the smile his voice.

“I haven’t...” He replies, weakly, but he moves here and there on Chanyeol’s back, ready to be put on the floor. Which doesn’t happen. Chanyeol walks into the house, takes his sweet time to leave the keys on the table in the kitchen and even tugs Baekyun’s shoes off in the process. “I can walk, you know..” Baekhyun mumbles, only to get a grunt in response.

“I won’t die for two more meters.” He says back, going up the stairs, his breathing labored. It’s Baekhyun who opens the door with a kick, and Chanyeol stumbles until he literally throws himself -and Baekhyun- on the bed, his chest heaving. “I swear to god, I’m never doing this again Byun Baekhyun. Go on a diet, you’re fat.”

Baekhyun laughs, a little weak, patting Chanyeol’s head idly. “I’m not fat. But thanks.”

He closes his eyes, stretches his arms and legs. The instinct to sleep is still there, and he half sees the shadow of Chanyeol as he stands up first, then wanders around his room, picking up books, his backpack, more random things. “I’ll head to school first, I’ll be back later Hyun.”

Baekhyun hums, rolling on one side. He cracks one eye open, enough to notice that there’s one of Chanyeol’s socks pressed between his head and the covers. He makes a disgusted noise, picking it up between thumb and index, before tossing it towards Chanyeol. His throw is a bit wobbly, the socks makes an unsteady landing on the edge of the bed. Chanyeol throws him a look, he snorts, then closes the door behind him.

 

Baekhyun, Sehun and Jongin are comfortably sitting on Baekhyun’s bed in the basement just before dinner time, the meds have worn out and despite the fact that Baekhyun does feel tired, at least he's not talking about unicorns. In the meanwhile Kyungsoo is glaring at Jongdae. He’s literally burning him to ashes with his eyes, as Jongdae, with a kittenish grin, doesn’t seem to want to move his hand from Kyungsoo’s bum. He’s holding two twenty-sided dice, one between index and middle finger, the other between middle finger and ring finger, and he looks smug and nonchalant.

“Crit.” He announces, showing the first of the two dices to Kyungsoo as he lets it slide from his fingers to his palm. Kyungsoo nods, and Baekhyun can clearly see Chanyeol’s Adam’s apple ripple, his brows furrowed in concentration. Jongdae rolls the dice. It hits the table once, then it glides freely on the surface like an ice cube, smoothly, until it stops right next to Kyungsoo’s master’s screen. It reads 19. 

Baekhyun’s eyes drag from the dice to Chanyeol’s face. He’ stuck with a weird expression, mixed between constipation and pure terror. He stares at the squiggles written on his character’s sheet, only a few HP left for Jongdae to finish his character. A normal hit would be enough, according to Baekhyun’s calculations, but Kim Jongdae likes to win with style, especially when it comes to smashing Chanyeol’s character. 

“You need to roll between 18 and 20 twice for the damage to double Dae, you know the rules.” Baekhyun comments, casually, secretly hoping Jongdae doesn’t make it, so that he can avoid cheering up a sulking Chanyeol after this.

“Confirm the critical hit, Jongdae.” Kyungsoo encourages. He’s serious, as usual, but Baekhyun has slowly learned to read beyond Kyungsoo’s apparent blank expression, so he knows how the small crease around those eyes shows that he’s just as amused as everyone is by the situation. 

Chanyeol grips at the table, a small intake of air, his shoulders tense as if Jongdae was threatening his actual life and not his character’s. Baekhyun can’t help but find it a bit sweet, how invested he gets. His gaze shifts towards Jongdae, briefly, and the only dice now cradled on his palm. Jongdae’s confident. He was when he announced he would roll a high number -a critical hit- a few seconds earlier, and he is now that he’s rolling the dice once again.

“Confirming the crit.” Jongdae says, once again before he’s even started to get a feel of the dice. He palms Kyungsoo’s asscheek -to which the latter seems to grow pale and red at the same time, if that was possible- and he finally rolls the dice. 

“Here it goes!” Jongdae half yells, finally letting go of Kyungsoo’s ass to prop himself on the table, to get a better view.

The dice keeps tumbling on the surface, goes past Kyungsoo’s master’s screen and the characters miniatures, until it reaches the edge and it falls with a thunk when it hits the floor. It keeps rolling, and Chanyeol is already careening dangerously to one side to follow its path. 

“Hyun-ah, check the result.” Jongdae says, but his tone says he knows already what it’s gonna be.

Baekhyun has no doubts either, as he leaves the bed with a fake annoyed groan. Sehun’s tail wraps around his leg, languidly, as if to stop him, and Baekhyun glances back, briefly, to see a small smile appear on his lips. He shakes his head, gently unwrapping the fluffiness from his thigh. “You always make me do the hard work, Dae.” He mutters, yet his tone of complaint contrasts with the fact that he’s already sitting on his heels to pick up the dice from where it has stopped, not too far from one of his clothes racks. 

He holds it up for everyone to see, and Chanyeol’s reaction is extra, as always. He groans like a dying whale, while Jongdae hugs Kyungsoo, leaves a smooch on his cheek. “I love you Do Kyungsoo!” He squeals, even jumps a couple of times dragging poor Kyungsoo with him. 

Kyungsoo, on the other hand, keeps pushing him away, squirming in disgust. It’s quite funny.  
“I’ll have you find a beholder on your own if you do this kissing shit again, understood?”  
Kyungsoo threatens and Sehun and Jongin, sitting together on Baekhyun’s bed, start chuckling quietly. 

“Why do you always let him do that? It’s so unfair!” Chanyeol complains and he flops on the table. “Roll the attack dice, let’s get this over with.”

“You’re the ones who insist on wanting to fight each other, you’d be perfectly fine if you only went against the enemies I choose for you.” Kyungsoo shoots back, as Jongdae rolls three small four sided dice. They look like a small pyramid made of marble -Chanyeol has bought Jongdae a really cool set of dice for his birthday, everyone is jealous of it, even Chanyeol, and he’s the one who bought it. 

“I mean the bum touching, can’t you keep your luck for yourself, Soo?” Chanyeol whines, and he’s already folding his copy of his character’s sheet. He’ll probably die anyway. “Jongdae’s lethal as he is. And there's no fun if never duel.”

“If you touched Kyungsoo’s lucky bum your character would be alive, Park Chanyeol.” Jongdae says, only glancing at Baekhyun as the hybrid discreetly walks up to stand next to a still very dying-whale-like Chanyeol. 

“Chanyeol needs his hands to play the guitar, Dae. I wouldn’t risk it with Soo here, if I were him. You should see how deadly he looks when you do the fortune bum thing.” Baekhyun observes, with a shrug. Chanyeol moves slightly to the left on the chair- without lifting his head from the table not changing his position too much, but enough for Baekhyun to fit on the edge of the seat. 

“What did you roll Dae?” Kyungsoo asks, as he perches over the master’s screen to take a quick look at the dice on the table. Baekhyun snorts and he’s the one who speaks first.“Two, three and a four.” He says and Chanyeol grumbles some more. 

Baekhyun pets his head in exchange, jokingly. “Jongdae has killed three of Chanyeol’s characters already, Soo, have some mercy.”

“They are so obsessed with these duels, I can’t do much against stupidity.” Kyungsoo shrugs, then he writes down the results of Jongdae’s attack on his copy of Chanyeol’s character’s sheet. “Congrats Yeol, you’re almost dead, write down how many HP you’ve got left.”

“Great.” Chanyeol mumbles, and Baekhyun notices that he only sounds half-grumpy, which means he’s not that sad, but decides not to leave his side. 

 

“Can’t we revive Sehun’s character so that we have a cleric in the group?” Chanyeol asks after a few seconds of silence, the side of his face resting on his hand, his elbow propped up on the table.

“You forced me to make a woman character, I didn’t like that.” Sehun’s answer comes from the other side of the room. He’s shifted so that his head is resting on Jongin’s lap, while the jindo hybrid is reading some book Kyungsoo must have given him. 

“I didn’t force you, Jongdae did.” Chanyeol quips back and Baekhyun feels his huge hand creep up until he’s touching his corgi ears. He starts scratching behind them almost distractedly. It’s relaxing, yet he forces himself not to lean into the touch and just stays there, rigid as a plank.

Sehun snorts. “Same thing. Plus I’m not playing if Jongin isn’t playing. And Jongin is not playing his druid anymore, because you guys used his bear companion as bait and it died. So..yeah.” He counters, with a flick of his hand.

Baekhyun can’t help but crack a grin, hiding it behind his hand. Even Jongin is smiling, while Chanyeol is muttering something, his head perched on Baekhyun’s shoulder as he talks. “You could’ve gotten another one, c’mon.” 

“Kyungsoo said it was very difficult to find another bear. And you guys could’ve not let it die, you know.” Jongin says, unfazed, as he catches Sehun’s tail between his fingers and starts combing through it. It’s a second, but Baekhyun doesn’t miss the shiver that shakes Sehun’s body before he seems to relax and melt into the bed once again. 

Baekhyun gets a peek of Chanyeol’s pout, his bottom lip slightly jutting out. He rarely ever sees him pouting, since he’s mostly a grumpy old man in the body of a teenager. It makes Chanyeol’s brows slightly go downward, his dimple show a little. “Whatever, but it would be fun to have you guys play with us. With Hyun too.” He says, his voice just a tad lower now.

“You just say it because you need someone to heal your character Yeol.” Sehun retorts. There’s a vein of something Baekhyun fails to read in the cat hybrid’s voice, something closer to real annoyance than usual. 

“No? I was just saying it would be fun...I mean since you’re here, why not play?”

Sehun just hums back,as if to give Chanyeol a little sweetener, and Baekhyun inhales. Jongdae and Kyungsoo are busy checking some rule on the player’s handbook, but both of them look up to meet Baekhyun’s gaze. There have been moments like this quite often lately, Sehun would snap at Chanyeol for no apparent reason. Chanyeol knows it’s mostly his fault, so he doesn’t rile Sehun up that much. However, being there as a witness is kind of exhausting, especially when Sehun leaves and it's up to Baekhyun to pick up the broken pieces of a sad Chanyeol.

“I was just… I swear I was joking just now, about your old character…” Chanyeol tries again, genuinely apologetic, while lifting his head from Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“I know Yeol, I know…” Sehun murmurs, his forearm going to cover his eyes. 

 

“You owe me money.”

The sun is setting and the school neighborhood is quiet except for a few students who’ve stayed overtime to clean, or for extra school activities. Yifan is walking behind him as usual, as Baekhyun leads the way back home. It’s routine and it’s nice, Baekhyun hates change. He hates when things are suddenly different and he has to adjust. Routine, walking back with Yifan, shifting at home and napping on the new doggy bed Yoora got him, playing in the yard until it’s shower time, then bed time. All of this is familiar and nice. 

What is not nice, but it’s still routine, is Yifan asking him to pay for dinner, and then never paying back. But Baekhyun guesses he can’t do much about that. Once in debt, forever in debt seems to be Yifan’s way of life.

“And I will give it back at some point, I swear Byunbaek.” Yifan speeds up a little, just so that he’s walking alongside Baekhyun. He reaches out, touches Baekhyun’s floppy ear and the hybrid lets him do it, either used to it or just disinterested.

“I thought Junmyeon was filthy rich.” Baekhyun observes. His eyes ahead on the road. The sign outside the convenient store on the corner says that popsicles are on sale. He’d be happily eating one, if only he hadn’t spent his money on his and Yifan’s dinner and he wasn’t completely broke. 

“Nah, he’s not.” Yifan replies, shortly. “Do I look filthy rich?” He asks, and Baekhyun’s eyes drag to him slowly, only to notice how he’s walking like those manga characters, his arms folded behind his back. 

“Nah, you don’t even look that expensive as a hybrid.” He comments, no harm in his words. Yifan makes a grimace anyway, and brings one hand to the side of his chest, as if Baekhyun had just broken his heart. “You hurt me.” He complains, and Baekhyun -of course- ignores him.

“I heard Sehun cost Kyungsoo a fortune, though I’m not even sure if he really bought him.” He’s not sure why his thoughts automatically go to Sehun. It must have something to do with the fact that Chanyeol’s still upset about the cat hybrid’s behaviour. Baekhyun has nothing to do with it, but having Chanyeol whine about Sehun is about as annoying as having all the house smell like Sehun more than it smells like Baekhyun.  
Yifan doesn’t seem to care about the change of topic, though.

“Do you think it went like.. There’s a cat in my house. I don’t own a cat?” He asks, with a crooked smile. Baekhyun laughs a breathy laugh, nodding a couple of times. “That would’ve been so Sehun’s style though.” He pauses, and it’s Yifan’s turn to laugh. Yifan has probably met Sehun less than ten times, but one doesn’t need to know Sehun that well to guess that he would totally be the type of hybrid to choose his owner, rather than the other way around.

“More like, apparently Jongin chose him for Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo’s mom has..connections. And I bet they got him for free.” He keeps explaining, and Yifan nods again, slower, deep in thought.

“Well he’s pretty.” He says, in the end, looking nowhere really.

“Really pretty.” Baekhyun quips, and he really didn’t want to add that sarcastic vein into his voice, but his being territorial doesn’t help much. He rolls his eyes, just to notice how Yifan is staring.

“You sound jealous.” He observes, with a shit eating grin stamped on his stupid giant face. “I thought you said you solved that? The whole, I don’t like Sehun’s kitten ass on Park Chanyeol?” 

Yifan loves to tease Baekhyun, it’s a fact. And Baekhyun has gotten used to it, he’s so zen, so so calm. His only reply is a well calculated shrug, not too rigid and not too careless, his gaze cast slightly down on the pavement. Yifan bursts out laughing, grips lightly at the back of Baekhyun’s nape as he hunches forward just slightly.

“You get all defensive when we talk about it.” He murmurs, closer to Baekhyun’s ear than he would like. He stays there, his breathing fanning over Baekhyun’s skin until he’s sure the hybrid is not going to give him an answer. Only then he jolts upright, stretching his arms up with a tired groan. “Fine! Keep your secrets Byun.”

“That’s what I was going to do from the start.” Baekhyun replies, a nonchalant smile drawn on his face, as he meets Yifan’s eyes. The other does the whole you-broke-my-heart gesture again, except that it’s not funny anymore and Baekhyun has seen it countless of times.

“You know I’m hurt, right?”

Baekhyun hums, only half annoyed, as he bites the inside of his cheek not to smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo here is your new chapter. I'm so so so sorry I'm this late, but I wen back and forth from Korea to Italy, then the jet lag kinda killed me and I really didn't feel like writing. ㅠㅠ I'm here again, though, and I hope I can be a bit more consistent with updates from now on.
> 
> Nothing really happens in this chapter, is a bit of an introduction and as you've noticed, Baekhyun's heat hasn't happened yet. We'll get to why he asks for Yifan and not Chanyeol, with time, but please trust me on this ç_ç
> 
> Also, curiosities about this chapter.  
> This is a beholder ([cliq!](https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/eberron/images/4/4a/Beholder.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111004002157)), the creature Kyungsoo was threatening Jongdae with, and the reason he does it, is that a beholder is the most powerful monster in D&D -or at least he was in the edition they were playing with.
> 
> I hope you don't mind them being this nerd, but I can totally imagine the beagle line playing nerdy games with Kyungsoo, so I really wanted to write that. 
> 
> Also, I'm pretty sure the effect that the drugs have on Baekhyun is a bit exaggerated, but I imagined that drugs for hybrids would be a bit stronger, considering their animal part, so yeah. I'm fully aware that it's a bit inaccurate, but I myself was giggling like an idiot after a dentist appointment, so I don't know XD
> 
> I think I've said everything. Again, sorry for being late and see you for the next update!


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Best appreciated if listening to this [cliq!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqsL0QQaSP4)

Chanyeol only half eyes Jaehwan as he pulls out yet another tiny hat from a small shopping bag. Jongdae snorts, shaking his head in disbelief and he takes a spoonful of rice from his lunch tray. Jaehwan doesn't even lift his eyes to look at them, as he examines the hat, which could literally but put on a doll's head, but Chanyeol and Jongdae both know Jaehwan well enough to know what he's going to do with it.

"Is that for Sanghyuk?" It's Jongdae who asks, pointing at it with the spoon. They all know, so technically Jongdae wouldn't need to ask, however Chanyeol has a vague idea of where the conversation is going and he drags his eyes from Jongdae to Jaehwan, waiting for his reply.  
"Yeah, why? Are you planning on putting a ribbon on Seulgi's head or something?" Jaehwan looks a bit confused here, too concentrated on playing with the little hat. It's a baseball hat with red and yellow details and a small propeller on top. Chanyeol doesn't want to know where the hell Jaehwan got it.

"She would look pretty. Deadly but classy." Chanyeol adds, as Jongdae shakes his head with all his might, looking almost vexed. "She's a panther, I'm not gonna put a hat on her head."

"Yeah but she's a girl also." Chanyeol says back with a shrug. "Girls usually like that kind of stuff. More like, it makes them feel pretty. Yoora has a whole collection." He gives a brief explanation, about which Jongdae doesn't look so interested. "Yoora has a whole collection of hats with a propeller?" He asks, with a smirk. Chanyeol shakes his head, he snorts, and somehow Jaehwan gets dragged into the general chuckle.

"Well Hyuk is a guy and it's quite funny to take pictures of him wearing all sorts of different hats and accessories when he's in his hybrid form. I don't know about your sister, Chanyeol." Jaehwan adds belatedly, as he keeps playing with the small propeller. Chanyeol must admit that it is indeed cute, as he eyes it from the side, half munching on the edge of his carton milk. "My sister likes frilly socks." He adds, and doesn't bother stopping the munching action, so whatever he says comes out a bit slurred.

"How does he not..like..punch you or something?" Jongdae asks, the smile doesn't quite rub off his face, and he reaches out to snatch the small cap from Jaehwan's hands. He lets him, and Jongdae starts spinning the propeller, eyes fixed on it.

 

"He finds it fun as well." Jaehwan starts, and he makes it sound like it's the most normal thing, to dress up your hybrid in ridiculous outfits. He almost sounds proud of his achievements with the costumes. "We upload the pictures on Myspace and people leave comments. I also made some Christmas cards last time, with him wearing Santa's hat and a beard. Everyone loved them."

"Jaehwan you..have some problems here." Jongdae bursts out laughing, and Jaehwan does laugh as well, just weakly. "You should try it once with Baekhyun, Yeol. People love puppies, he'd be super popular too, I bet."

Chanyeol tries hard to push away the idea of having Baekhyun wear a shark fin on his back, he tries, then shakes his head in defeat. "He wouldn't like that."

"We did give you a small puppy onesie to put on him, a while ago. How'd it go?" Jongdae asks after a while, the hat has been diligently displayed on top of an upside down glass, someone -either Jaehwan or Jongdae- makes the propeller spin every now and then, giving it a flick.

"Complete failure, I never managed to put it on him."

"Ohw." Jongdae almost howls, theatrically, and slams a fist on the table. "Bummer, I bet he'd look cute." He says, but, again, he sounds more convinced of the fact that Baekhyun would indeed look cute, than support the actual idea of dressing up your puppy hybrid.

"He could still fit, hybrids don't grow that fast. I almost convinced Hongbin to buy a set of Batman puppy clothes for Wonsik, he told me to go fuck myself though, so I guess it didn't end that well." They both end up staring towards Jaehwan as he speaks. Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, but it's Jongdae who speaks, a good mix between surprised and genuinely scarred for life.

"Jaehwan the more you speak the more I'm convinced that you have issues. What's with your obsession for putting clothes on hybrids anyway?"

"It's fun." He counters, taking his propeller hat back and folding it so that it fits into the shopping bag it originally came from. "You do all the cheesy stuff with your panther girl hybrid, I'm gonna have fun with my iguana and his hats."

Jongdae opens his mouth to say something, and Chanyeol is fast enough to intercept the _almost pissed Jongdae_ expression, so he butts in, cutting to a more interesting -and less dangerous- topic than Jongdae doing cheesy stuff with Seulgi.

"You, Sanghyuk and the others should come play D&D with us once." He tries. Jongdae instantly calms down, and at least Jaehwan seems ok with the way the conversation is going. "We had another session yesterday, Jongdae ended up doing gay shit with Kyungsoo again."

"And he didn't die?" He asks, his eyes like saucers for a moment, in complete disbelief.

"Nah, Kyungsoo secretly enjoys being my lucky charm." Jongdae tries to brag, his lips curling up into his usual kitten grin. Jaehwan kicks him from under the table, and Jongdae folds in two, his knee knocked up to his chest, whining. "Why did you do that?" Jaehwan keeps chuckling to himself, Chanyeol is right out laughing by now.

"I'm avenging Kyungsoo." Jaehwan says, and it makes perfect sense.

They stay quiet for a while, the three of them fumbling with their phone as the cafeteria empties out slowly, but steadily, unless there's only a few tables where people are still chatting freely.

"Yesterday I saw Baekhyun as a human after like..three months?" It's out of the blue, but it's something Chanyeol hasn't been able to shake off for the last twenty four hours. It makes him excited, but somewhat concerned at the same time. Is he really realizing it just now, how he hasn't spoken to Baekhyun for such a long time?

Jongdae is taken aback, still rubbing his knee where Jaehwan has kicked him. He stares at Chanyeol for a few seconds, blinks. "What..?" He asks, but it's obvious he's caught every part of the message. Jaehwan is dumbfounded too on the other side of the table, eyebrows pulled up as he rest his chin on the back of his hand, almost as if waiting for good gossip.

"Yeah." It's all Chanyeol lets out at first, and it takes him a few moments to evaluate the atmosphere, before spilling the beans, carefully almost. "Which is why I was trying to talk to him a lot, because he never..shifts?" He makes it sound like a question, as he bites the side of his bottom lip, as a habit.

Jongdae's expression doesn't shift and starts wondering if he's not imagining everything. Jongdae's words don't help him much either. "He does though." He says, then pauses, as if to check on Chanyeol first. See what kind of reaction he's getting back. Chanyeol's face, though, is a weird mix of emotions right now, it's hard to read. "I always see him as a human. He hangs out with Seulgi and me quite often, and he's always in his human form then." Jongdae continues, his voice drops a little.

The problem is that Chanyeol can't be imagining it. He's been an idiot long enough, not noticing things he should've pointed out immediately, talked about with Baekhyun. It's obvious he must've done, said something, or either Baekhyun has stopped liking him for some reason, if he has no problems in shifting in front of Jongdae and Seulgi, but he's extremely cautious when it comes to even showing his face to Chanyeol for two seconds in the morning, outside of their bathroom.

Chanyeol's gaze falls on his empty plate, and he grimaces a bit. Eating that much wasn't the smartest of ideas, thinking back to it. He almost feels sick, slowly, it's nausea creeping up on him. Jaehwan comes to the rescue, it must show on Chanyeol's face how much a few words from Jongdae have made him doubt himself, now.

"Maybe your timing doesn't match. We have music class quite late at night, and he might feel more comfortable staying in his hybrid form." He justifies, making it sound like not that big of a deal, at first. Then he stops, searching for Chanyeol's eyes, in concern. "But.. It's weird." He adds, quietly.

"Baekhyun does say he prefers staying as a corgi." Chanyeol mumbles, more to himself than to the others, really. He adds a fake laugh at the end of the sentence, but he doesn't sound that convincing.

"..Does he though?" Jongdae questions. "When have you talked to him last, before those three months?"

It's such a simple question, and yet Chanyeol can't even answer that. He lowers his eyes, tortures his bottom lip with his teeth. He shakes his head. "I.. I can't even remember? I thought it was a Baekhyun thing, and I don't know..." He definitely wasn't expecting the conversation to veer this way, and now he's got a bunch of feelings and worries he doesn't know what to do with.

There are a few things Chanyeol is terrified of, and one is fighting with Baekhyun. He can do everything but that. "I...Think you should talk to your hybrid, mate." Jaehwan stretches his arm over the table, trying to pat Chanyeol's shoulder, a bit awkwardly. "That's the great thing about hybrid, they're human also. If you don't get your human time with them, what's the point in getting one at all?"

Jongdae, on the other hand, is quiet for a long time. Enough for Jaehwan to whisper a few more words of encouragement and for Chanyeol to fall silent. "You should definitely talk to him." He says, blunt.

Chanyeol takes a deep breath. "Yeah."

 

It's the three of them walking back from school together in a neat line. It's pouring rain, petrichor mixed with the smell of wet grass, of the exhaust fumes coming from the cars on their left. The city seems to be bustling with life when it rains. Their high school area, otherwise mostly deserted, looks like a busy beehive. Chanyeol's sneakers are drenched already, but the umbrella he's sharing with Jaehwan is at least working as protection for his upper torso.

"I hate the rain." Jongdae mutters on their left, fumbling with his phone as he tries to send a message using one hand only, as he holds onto the umbrella for dear life with his right one. Chanyeol would've chuckled, he would've probably taken control of Jaehwan's umbrella with a jerk, intentionally spraying Jongdae with rainwater, only to have a miffed Jaehwan on the right, and an absolutely pissed Jongdae on the left, hurrying to dry his phone laying it flat on his chest.

Today, though, Chanyeol can't get rid of the weird sensation of being nauseated, his stomach churning uncomfortably the closer they get home. He just hums, and he notices how Jongdae throws him a side glance, of worry? Or is it pity maybe? Chanyeol can't be sure. And he can't even allow himself to linger on that glance too long, his mind all jumbled up with the unhappiest questions.

They said it and it is quite clear, that not seeing Baekhyun as a human for months is not normal. Hell, not talking to your hybrid -no, your friend whom you live together with _for months_ is not normal. He tries to dig back to when Baekhyun has started to shift more rarely, when was it that he just stop shifting altogether? Why hasn't he noticed and, in the end, did he even care?

He goes from feeling sorry for himself because his hybrid is positively avoiding him, to being angry at himself. Has Baekhyun done it on purpose? And if he has, what if he was expecting a response from Chanyeol, and he didn't get any?

His stomach makes a twist, Chanyeol bites on his lower lip and offers to hold the umbrella with a mumble. "Chanyeol, it's gonna be fine. Stop torturing yourself." Jaehwan is too talkative for his own good, but he's also known for making a good friend when people need him. Chanyeol offers a lopsided smile, as the other hands him the umbrella and Chanyeol's finger curl around the handle.

His eyes are cast down at first, so he doesn't know who Jongdae and Jaehwan are greeting, but he suddenly comes to a halt, when one of them -probably Jongdae- closes a hand around his elbow. Only then he looks up, taking his time, and imitates the others. He raises his hand, politely, nothing much though.

"Coming back from school, guys?"

Jonghyun is two years older than they are, and he looks kind of intimidating wearing the grey and black uniform from their rival school. His lips pull into a confident smile, and all of them are smiling back a lot less confidently, Jongdae mostly for courtesy - since he doesn't know Jonghyun that well.

"Yes, we finished earlier today. We were thinking of getting ice cream, but, you know,..the rain.." Jaehwan explains, a vague gesture into the air with his free hand. Chanyeol only knows Jonghyun through other people's words. Who he is in their music academy, what he does, but he's never directly spoken to him before, except for short greetings inside the school. "What are you doing instead?" Jaehwan keeps a somewhat polite speech, Chanyeol silently watches the exchange between the two, smiling where needed, his mind elsewhere.

"I'm going to meet a friend, at NH." He explains, and he twirls his umbrella once, his eyes going past Jaehwan, lingering on Chanyeol, then stopping on Jongdae. "See you guys around then?"

They all nod, as Jonghyun waves and steps forward. There's yet another exchange of greetings, Chanyeol couldn't be less impressed. All he wants is to go home and see Baekhyun, try to talk to him. They've made a couple of steps, when Jonghyun's voice breaks through the sound of the rain.

"Chanyeol! Let's practice together once." He waves his hand, high, before walking away. Chanyeol doesn't know what to make of it, so he shrugs it off, more pressing issues at hand.

"When did introduce yourself to Jonghyun?" Jaehwan questions, arched eyebrow and all.

"I didn't. I barely know him."

 

It's a bit earlier than usual when Chanyeol gets home, the door beeping behind him as he chucks his shoes into a corner . He doesn't bother with the slippers, as he struggles to balance on one foot and half limp at the same time, as he peels off his socks.

“Mom?” He calls, as he walks down the corridor, throwing a brief glance towards the living room. “Mom? Yura?” He tries again, tossing his bag aiming towards the center of the room, carelessly. That weird sensation of sickness that he feels at the pit of his stomach doesn't leave. If possible, it get worse, the closer he gets to the stairs that lead to his room.

He opts to stop by the kitchen for a moment, gobble on some water directly from the sink only to wipe the droplets off his face with the back of his uniform sweater, when he's done. His mom and sister aren’t home yet and probably won’t come back until later. The house is eerily quiet, the only sound being the ticking on the clock hung on the wall, in the kitchen.

“Hyun, are you home?” He’s back in the corridor, waiting for an answer he doesn’t get. It relaxes him a bit, it gives him a bit of time to process what he's going to tell Baekhyun, what he's going to ask exactly. He feels left out, and he's not made up his mind about what he feels about it. He's just _scared_ of what Baekhyun is going to say, if he's actually angry at Chanyeol, if maybe Chanyeol has done something without even realizing.

He keeps biting the inside of his cheek as he climbs up the stairs, following the surface of the wall with the tip of his fingers as he usually does. The door to his room is slightly ajar, and Chanyeol takes a deep breath, because he knows what that means. His stomach makes a somersault, and he keeps his eyes closed while he opens the door.

_It's alright_ he almost mutters it to himself. _What are you so nervous about?_

He's met with his room looking exactly as he left it in the morning, controllers on the floor, a few books scattered on his desk, his headphones hanging down the side of his bed. What's different it's the presence of Baekhyun, who's decided to take a nap on the big blue cushion he uses as a puppy bed. It's still a good size for him, even though they got it just a few days after they adopted the hybrid. He was supposed to allow him to sleep in the same room with Chanyeol, but Baekhyun prefers crawling under the covers and sleeping next to Chanyeol anyway, so he never really used it. And as for Chanyeol, he never had any intention of kicking him off the bed.

Baekhyun sleeps in weird, contorted positions as a human, when he accidentally dozes off on the couch, limbs half sprawled on the back cushion, one leg on Chanyeol's lap, arms covering his face, torso twisted in a way that wouldn't be comfortable for anyone, but somehow is Baekhyun's favorite sleeping position. He must have gotten it from his hybrid half, since even as a puppy, Baekhyun loves to sleep on his back, his head to one side, his body turned the opposite way.

Chanyeol covers his mouth with one hand as he snorts. He looks at the window once and shakes his head, half amused, half sad. Baekhyun must have snatched one of Chanyeol's hoodies, some time before falling asleep, and dragged it to his puppy bed, because he’s sleeping on it. Chanyeol keeps biting the side of his upper lip, this one time trying not to smile.

He squats next to the cushion, his arms folded on his knees. "Byun Baekhyun." He calls, and sees Baekhyun's ear respond to the noise, wiggling just a little. "Hey." Chanyeol reaches out, pulling at Baekhyun's paw with enough care not to jolt him awake and still get him to shift slowly and curl up in a ball, to avoid the source of nuisance.

Baekhyun is not the lightest sleeper, which is why Chanyeol even allows himself to graze the top of his muzzle with the back of his finger, up and down. Baekhyun's fur is soft, and his breath fans the palm of Chanyeol's hand. It's slightly faster than Baekhyun's breathing as a human, and it's weird to think that they're just the same person, in two very different bodies.

He breathes out, slowly, retracting his hand only to reach for the sides of his hoodie and wrap Baekhyun like a light blue taco, then lift him slightly, experimentally. Baekhyun just whines weakly -still half asleep- but doesn't complain much. Not when Chanyeol repositions him horizontally on his forearm, so that he can sort of cradle him, not when he moves towards the bed and almost trips on his feet.

He does crack his eyes open, though, when Chanyeol sits down, his back on the cushions. He's visibly confused, and he's vocal about it, letting out a small bark, his eyes still threatening to close every two seconds. And Chanyeol feels bad, combing through the sides of Baekhyun's muzzle, because no matter how sleepy the hybrid is, he's still lapping at Chanyeol's fingers, more as a reflex probably. "Hyun..?"

There it is, one more twitch of the ears, as Chanyeol's hand lays flat where Baekhyun's tummy should be, under the fabric of the sweater. He blinks once, twice, looks at Chanyeol without seeing him for real. Baekhyun, again, is not a light sleeper, and it takes some time for him to acknowledge the existence of the real world, after he wakes up.

Chanyeol can't wait, not really. He needs to know, if only, the fact that he could spend three more hours here petting his sleepy hybrid makes it more necessary for him to know. He needs to know if it's true that Baekhyun is avoiding him, he needs to let out the frustration of having Jongdae tell him that Baekhyun spends all the time as a human with him, where Chanyeol is stuck talking to himself most of the time.

"Hyun can you shift?" He asks, as he rubs his hand in circles on Baekhyun's stomach. His legs both have a small spasm whenever Chanyeol rubs or scratches on a particular spot, a bit lower, to the side, and Baekhyun happily enjoying it, his eyes half closed, until he seems to process what Chanyeol just asked.

Chanyeol hunches until his face is closer to the hybrids, his nose bumping against one of Baekhyun's paws. "I need to ask you something, could you?" There's a pleading tone to his voice, and Baekhyun must sense that, but he still whines once more, interrogatively. Chanyeol doesn't reply, as he sits upright, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. He feels like he really wants to throw up, without actually feeling sick.

Baekhyun wiggles inside the hoodie taco until he's standing on all four, first, only to waddle on Chanyeol's torso and balance on his hind legs, both his front paws resting against Chanyeol's chest. He doesn't look that sleepy anymore, his eyes shining with something akin to curiosity and worry all at once.

“It’s ok, I just want to talk.” He tries to fake a calm smile, and even that must be weird to Baekhyun, because he tilts his head to the side. Floppy ear goes along with the movement. Chanyeol pats his butt once, twice, then strokes his back. "C'mon, go shift, idiot, we don't have all day." The tone he uses is careless, but convinces Baekhyun to hop off his lap.

He takes Chanyeol's hoodie with him, basically cleaning the floor with it. And Chanyeol does mumble about that -it's his clothes after all- but only half heartedly, too busy making up a speech or anything clever to say, to start the conversation.

When Baekhyun comes back Chanyeol wants to crawl under his bed and never talk. He's a bundle of nerves, he fidgets with his hands and doesn't even notice the other's expression, as Baekhyun stops and leans on the doorframe. He's wearing one of Chanyeol's massive hoodies. It's swimming on his slim frame, the lengths reaching his mid thigh. Even the red basketball shorts he's slipped on must be Chanyeol's, from a couple of years ago. They fit Baekhyun just nice, and if it was for his honey brown ears peeking out of his hair, nobody would even notice the bump of Baekhyun's tail, on his rear. "So..?" It's Baekhyun that starts, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and unleashing all sorts of short circuits inside Chanyeol's head.

He lowers his eyes, he doesn't even know why he's so self conscious suddenly. He keeps biting down on his lip, with a hum. When he looks up again, Baekhyun is sitting on the floor, cross legged, his eyes on him. Chanyeol stops humming. "Why don't we talk anymore?" He spits out. He'd prepared this long ass speech inside his head, in which he'd explain how he hadn't realized until lately how lonely it feels. How he misses their evening time together, their afternoons painting graffiti. It was a good speech, the best probably, and he just flushed it down the toilet.

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow in response, and Chanyeol doesn't understand why. He groans in frustration, and waits for an answer that never comes. So he continues, hoping to trigger some reaction, anything. "We just..used to be together all the time, and then I got busy, and it seems like I never see you, nor talk to you at all lately."

Baekhyun's expression doesn't budge, however Chanyeol knows him enough to notice that his fidgeting with the cuffs of his hoodie means he's somewhat nervous. He breathes in, out, as he pushes himself towards the bed and sorts of climbs on it, sitting on the edge. When he replies, tardily, he sounds strangely unaffected, almost bored. "We have different timetables Chanyeol. And we watch tv together all the time in the evening."

"Sometimes." Chanyeol starts, and stretches on all four, quickly curling up, knees to his chest, not too far from where Baekhyun is sitting on the bed. "Sometimes we do, it's true, but the times we don't are actually more." There's an edge to his voice and nausea sweeps through him once more. Baekhyun must be able to sense it, how anxious he’s feeling right now. He must be able to hear Chanyeol's heart drumming in his chest, his ears. Chanyeol doesn't want to be having this discussion, and yet here he is.

Again, Baekhyun doesn't reply. He keeps his drooping eyes fixed on Chanyeol, so still Chanyeol is tempted to close the distance between them and just grab his shoulders, shake him. He can't solve anything if he's arguing alone, if Baekhyun keeps pretending like there's nothing to talk about. Chanyeol's eyelids flutter down, he feels defeated.

"You're.." He pulls in a breath. "I want to talk to you. I like talking to you, hanging out together. I miss that. I don't know, it feels..like you've been avoiding me and I haven't noticed until now." He takes a small pause, and he hunches forward just a little, searches of Baekhyun's eyes. "I should've noticed earlier."

"You're busy Yeol, you have classes until after dinner time. Sometimes you're too tired and go to bed, sometimes you study. I study. I really don't know what you're talking about." He has this look on his face, sharp, calculating, like he's shoving all of the evidence right at Chanyeol's face, and mathematically demonstrating how he can do nothing about it.

"So..it's just that I'm busy, and you're busy." He says, his eyes never leave Baekhyun's, he takes his sweet time to fully make sure that Baekhyun is not lying, no matter how sure he is about it, he's still going to give Baekhyun the chance to tell him. "And you're not avoiding me, at all."

"Why would I avoid you, then?" Baekhyun asks, and instantly Chanyeol just knows. He knows their conversation isn't going anywhere. "Why do you talk to Jongdae, then?" He snaps back, exasperated, as he grips at the duvet, his knuckles going white. "I haven't talked to you for three months before yesterday. We live together, how can you say it's just.." He sits upright, as if to put a distance between them, and Baekhyun's gaze follows his movements immediately. "I guess I must be crazy then."

Baekhyun groans, tiredly, then he lets himself fall back until he's lying on the bed. His fingers curl around the hem of Chanyeol's uniform bottoms, scratch at the fabric, as he stares at the ceiling. "It's just because Jongdae's schedule is closer to mine than yours is." It's bullshit, and Chanyeol knows, but at least their position allows Chanyeol to just stare at Baekhyun's fingers, strangely entranced. Chanyeol shifts, one is knee bent, almost touching his chest, the other is folded, laying sideways on the duvet.

"I guess it's just me that misses it, right?" He mumbles, and reaches to pull down the cuffs of the hoodie until Baekhyun's fingers are almost completely covered and only the tips peek out. He realizes only after a while that Baekhyun's looking at him through hooded eyes, his hair, fanned on the duvet, seem to tickle his ears because they twitch slightly. He stares, but he stays quiet, guarding.

"Have I done something wrong?" Chanyeol asks after a good minute of silence, of staring. He realizes it's not the right question to ask, he tries again. "How do I fix this Hyun? I didn't know we had a problem, but I really want to fix it." He's as sincere as he can be, he knows Baekhyun doesn't doubt him on that, he can't doubt him on that.

Baekhyun props himself on his elbow first, then moves around and wiggles uncomfortably until his arm is draped over one of Chanyeol's folded knee, as he half lies on his side. "Yeol I.. I just prefer staying as a corgi sometimes. Most of those times are with you. It doesn't mean I like you less. It's still me. Don't try to split me into two." His words stop, almost like a hiccup. "I'm Baekhyun when I'm a dog as well, I'm Baekhyun when I play with you and you pet me while we watch the movies."

Chanyeol bites down on lip, it's his usual habit but today he bites down harder, wondering how much of a shitty owner.. No, how much of a shitty friend he must be if they've come to this point, "I'm sorry." He murmurs, and Baekhyun's eyes flicker open, his head tilts back slightly. "For what?" he asks, and Chanyeol scoffs, almost bitter.

"I know there's something wrong, Hyun." He says, once more. "What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry if I didn't notice before." He adds, quietly, as his hand goes to scratch behind Baekhyun's ear in the spot that he knows the hybrid likes when he's shifted. He only hopes it works with Baekhyun as a human as well.

He watches him relax gradually, unwind, as his fingers dig to his scalp slightly. He yawns, after a while, and Chanyeol would usually make a snarky comment on that, about Baekhyun sleeping all the time and napping at every good occasion. About him taking after Jongin. To which Baekhyun would probably laugh, and shake his head, punch one out on Chanyeol's shoulder. He doesn't, though, and Baekhyun stretches out on the bed and turns, until he's facing down on it, the human version of the sploot.

One of his ears bends spontaneously, as usual. "It's ok." he mumbles.  
It doesn't take the tension off Chanyeol's shoulders at all.

 

_It feels like there's oceans_  
_Between me and you once again_  
_We hide our emotions_  
_Under the surface and tryin' to pretend_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to sum it up, Chanyeol is a bit of an idiot and Baekhyun is pretending everything is fine.  
> An angsty, mostly dialogue-y chapter for you girls. As usual, I'd love to hear what you think.  
> I'm sorry if this update is a bit shorter than usual -I think?- and is also late. I'll make it up for it next time.
> 
> Also, don't hate too much on Chanyeol please, he's precious, he's only a bit oblivious. 
> 
> This being said, hope you enjoy and as usual, thank you so so so much for giving love to this fic ç_ç Love you girls!  
> /hugs everyone in the tightest hug ever/


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better appreciated if read listened to this! [cliq!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTfHUbffjr0)

Baekhyun knows he's screwed up whatever balance he had with Chanyeol until now, the second Chanyeol starts to ask questions. Too many questions Baekhyun doesn't want to give an answer to, mostly because it feels childish, to tell him the reason he started not to shift to his human form was that Chanyeol didn't want him to shift in the first place. He wanted a dog, a real dog, that's what he said, right?

And Baekhyun is smart, he's smart enough to know that Chanyeol was going through a lot, back then, so his anger because of that lasted around three days. Three days in which Chanyeol notices the fact that Sehun and everyone are still mad at him, but doesn’t seem to take note of Baekhyun staying a corgi most of the time. It doesn’t take long for three days to become a week, and a week to become a lot more than that. Then Chanyeol started his guitar classes, and the actual time they spent together went from being most of the afternoon and evening, to a quick _hi_ in the bathroom while they wash their teeth, or Chanyeol lazily petting Baekhyun in front of the tv.

And, well - that's what pisses Baekhyun off the most. It's not Chanyeol telling him he didn't want him, not that, because people say a lot of things when they're angry. What he is mad about is Chanyeol not noticing. Chanyeol going on with his life without him, and Baekhyun left one step behind. If Baekhyun's not shifting is childish, it's even more frustrating because Chanyeol, indeed, seems to be ok with it.

Chanyeol is an idiot, Baekhyun knows he's not doing it on purpose, that there must be something missing in the equation, something Chanyeol just doesn't see. But it nips at his pride, the mere idea of trying to talk about it. To ask first. _Haven't you noticed I don't shift anymore?_ or _Don't you miss talking to me?_ It's questions that linger at the tip of Baekhyun's tongue, but he'll never let go of his defense enough to ask. Because then it would mean he's the one who misses Chanyeol, he'd become the weak one. And Baekhyun is none of that. He loves Chanyeol, but that doesn't mean he'll give up on his pride because of that.

He deals with it.   
Baekhyun's always been good at building armors, battling disappointment with sarcasm or detachment is what Baekhyun does best, and that's how he ends up coping. 

Yifan, though. Yifan sees through it right away and he's far better at reading Baekhyun than he is at dealing with his own emotions. It's as if Baekhyun was wearing his heart on his sleeve, as if all his defences were just as thin as soap bubbles to Yifan. It enrages Baekhyun to some extent, that Yifan can skillfully solve the conundrum that he is so damn easily, pull at every right string in less than two seconds. Whereas Chanyeol has had the problem right in front of his eyes for months, and was utterly blind to it.

It's fallen into routine, he's settled down with the idea that Chanyeol wouldn't see it, wouldn't deal with it and Baekhyun would be going on with his life pretending they weren't attached by the hip before that. He's decided he's ok with the situation as it is, that he doesn't care more that much, that it doesn't matter. Which is why when Chanyeol starts asking questions, when he says he wants to talk, when he apologizes, Baekhyun is showered in feelings he wouldn't expect would pour on him that suddenly, like a summer storm.

He doesn't know what to do, what to say, and his pride wins as always.   
Chanyeol has to notice, he won't be the one to talk.

"You should've just told him," Yifan says, apathetic as he always. The dim light of his cigarette looks like a firefly in the otherwise poorly lit park. It's cold, but not cold enough for them to freeze to the bone, and the humidity in the air makes the abandoned green area look more eerie than it would in the morning. 

They have sneaked into the playground, climbed the rope ladder and curled in the rather cramped space between the slide and the small turret of the playground. Yifan has complained for the last five minutes about Baekhyun smelling of sanitary products.  
He's still rubbing his shoulders, sitting right behind Baekhyun, his legs framing him. He presses here and there in an attempt to melt away that rigidity that is keeping Baekhyun as stiff as a board. "Baekhyun relax, jeez you're tense." He says, but there's no annoyance in his voice whatsoever.

"I can't," Baekhyun shoots back. His ears feel damp, as well as his clothes, and he doesn't like that he _does smell_ like sanitary products, but he didn't think about anywhere else to hide. Nobody would sneak in a public toilet in the middle of the night. "What do I tell him?" He asks, and his voice breaks a bit. "Oh, well hi Chanyeol, I'm sorry. I don't shift because you were a piece of shit to me, a while ago. And I was mad about that. And then I got mad at you for not noticing I wasn't shifting?" There it is, sarcasm tinging his voice. He doesn't have to put it there, it just activates, like some secret skill.

"Yes, that, pretty much," Yifan presses harder in between his shoulder blades with his thumb, he rubs there in circles, then moves it a little, until he's found yet another tense muscle. "I said relax." He takes a drag from his cigarette, and Baekhyun wonders how he does it, giving free massages while smoking. He wonders if that's a skill as well.

He only complains, though, pulling at a thread on the hem of his sweats. "Yeah, great, how do I relax?" The thread breaks with a snap. It's Chanyeol's sweats. All of his clothes are Chanyeol's. Baekhyun is going crazy. At least they don't smell like him. Not that much. His ears twitch involuntarily when Yifan traces his spine with his index finger. It feels nice. His tail is betraying him once more, but Yifan doesn't comment on it.

"You're gonna implode." He says, and there is some apprehension hidden in there, somehwere. Baekhyun can't see him, as Yifan is sitting cross legged behind him, now, but he can guess his expression, he's gotten used to Yifan that much. "You always bottle everything up, it's not good for you." He murmurs, and now he just rests both his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders. Soothing. _I got your back_ he's saying.

Baekhyun doesn't give him an answer, because that's exactly what Baekhyun does. He bottles up, he piles up things until he can't hold them in anymore. And he deals with the explosion on his own. Ends up hurting more than he would if he didn't.

There's silence for a while, a the sound of someone's security system going off, in the distance. The neighborhood is quiet, the park would be dangerous, otherwise, but it's their place for when Baekhyun feels like talking to Yifan without Junmyeon trying to sound mature, as he always does. "You're not only mad about him not noticing, are you?" Yifan asks, his voice low, breath fanning right over Baekhyun's nape. His ears react to the sound, and Baekhyun feels caught red handed. Again, he swallows instead of replying. "Mh, Hyun?" Yifan insists. 

"That's the reason." He snaps back, more poisonous than he intended to, and Yifan's fingers concentrate on the muscle expanse between Baekhyun's shoulder and neck, unfazed. He presses, hard, and Baekhyun flinches, recoiling with a whimper. "That hurt, asshole." He turns back, only to elbow the air instead of Yifan's ribcage as he was planning to.

Yifan snorts around is cigarette, and he takes his hands back only to throw away the stump. "I'm not your slave, you're getting special treatment because I like you." He says. Baekhyun squints to see the reddish firefly land somewhere near the slide, and then die, slowly, the fire getting dimmer and dimmer. "I'm flattered." He mutters, but he's the one to lean back until his back is pressed against Yifan's chest. The other doesn't seem to mind. If anything, Yifan hooks his Chin on Baekhyun's shoulder, his ears tickling the other's cheek.

The quiet is not unwelcome, their silences have always been comfortable. Whatever it is, the understanding they have, Baekhyun cherishes it dearly. He looks in the distance. A car driving by, Yifan's hand distractedly playing with the strings of Baekhyun's sweater. "What are you really mad about?" He asks, and it sounds way closer than Baekhyun would like. It's harder to lie, if Yifan can catch every single hue in Baekhyun's voice. "You can say it, and we can talk about it," He keeps going, his fingers curl around the string, unwind it. "Or you can decide not to tell me, and cry about it again," He offers, and makes sure to put some teasing at the edge of his words, not to upset Baekhyun.

But there it is. Baekhyun's answer is a breathy laugh, he shakes his head. He's tired. "I didn't cry." He bites back, but there's no determination nor any real offense taken. He was crying, because that's what Baekhyun does when everything becomes too much and he doesn't know what to do, when he's confused. He cries for a while, and then he goes back, pick up the pieces of the crumbling walls around him.

"No, right." Yifan says, inhaling deeply. When he exhales, it feels warm on Baekhyun's skin, through the fabric. Yifan doesn't push, he stays silent. He gives Baekhyun time.

"It's not nice if your owner tells you they didn't want you." Baekhyun says, just above a whisper. He can distinctly feel Yifan going rigid behind him. "Who's tense now?" He asks, only faking an amusement he most definitely doesn't feel right now. He's not sure what he's feeling, everything is numb.

"Well he must want you, though, if he asked to talk." Yifan offers, belatedly. He doesn't sound doubting, but he's not sure either. Baekhyun shakes his head, and he's smiling a bitter, smile. His defense mechanism snapping on. "Yeah, I wonder what he wants to talk about." He spits. He's not even angry at this point, he wants to sound venomous, he needs to.

Yifan buys none of his shit, as always. Yifan is Yifan, and Baekhyun doesn't know why he's even trying to hide things from him. 

Yifan pulls away, reaching for Baekhyun's shoulders. He pushes, applies some force when Baekhyun complains, until he's gotten him to turn around, look him in the eyes. He inspects Baekhyun's face, attentively. "You..." He starts, then his eyes go soft for a moment, before fading back into Yifan's usual lethargic glare. "Are you scared?" He asks, cautios, slowly.

"What?" No, he can't deal with this now, this is not it.

"Are you scared of talking to him?" Yifan continues, and Baekhyun's eyes drag lower, somewhere along Yifan's clavicles, peeking through the collar of the black sweater he's wearing.  
"What are you talking about?" Baekhyun shoots back, as if he just burned himself. Yifan doesn't care, he doesn't force Baekhyun to look at him, but does push, and push, and Baekhyun can see his defenses coming apart once more.

"You are scared that he won't understand. And you'll be disappointed." Yifan adds, final.   
Baekhyun's right out shaking at this point, he doesn't know if it's because he just wants Yifan to shut up or because Yifan is right, after all. "That's not it..it's.." He stutters, he tries.

"And you like him a lot. You don't want to be disappointed." Yifan keeps his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders, the grip doesn't hurt, but Yifan voice is tinged with something Baekhyun can't quite place. "You are already."

 

He smiles, weak, without strength. He can feel his breath itch, in the back of his throat.  
"And I thought that talking to you would help." He mumbles, his head snaps to the side, he pulls at his bottom lip. He doesn't want to cry, he really doesn't. 

"You should do it. Talk to him, I mean." Yifan's hands go back to the wooden surface of the playground structure. "The real problem, Baekhyun." He adds. "And what is the real problem?" Baekhyun doesn't bother looking up, defiant, he doesn't bother challenging Yifan with his eyes, because he just knows it, Yifan is going to get it right.

"That what if he _really_ didn't want you in the first place? You're terrified of him not needing you after all." 

Quiet, again. Those words linger in the air, heavy. Baekhyun hates them, hates Yifan, hates the truth. He doesn't want to deal with the truth. He likes his little fortress of false reassurance. He feels the tears dangerously prickling at his eyes, and he tries to lever himself up, anything to put some distance between him and Yifan. He needs a moment alone.

"That's it, isn't it?" Yifan mutters, once more. His fingers curl around Baekhyun's wrist before the other can effectively escape. He pulls. Baekhyun doesn't have it in him to put up any resistance now. He wants to be alone, but he also wants to curl up next to Chanyeol and forget about all this shit for a while. He can't have Chanyeol, Yifan will have to do.

"Don't go back crying into that public toilet, I won't fish you out of there again." He comments, and Baekhyun forces himself to smile. He rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, then bites down on his bottom lip once again, when he can feel it threatening to tremble. "C'mere. It's ok." Yifan coos almost, and it's funny because it doesn't suit him. It sounds awkward, detached.

"I don't cry." Baekhyun insists, and Yifan circles his shoulders with one of his arms. Baekhyun hides his face against his neck, breathes in to calm himself down. It's of little help, really. Yifan breathes in, heavily.  
"No, right." 

 

"It's a good thing he wants to talk, you know." Yifan murmurs, after Baekhyun's shallow breath is steady again. He hasn't let go of him yet.  
"I know." Baekhyun whispers, nodding a little.

"Give him a chance." Yifan offers, and cards his fingers through Baekhyun's hair. He puts too much force in it. Unlike Chanyeol's, Yifan's touch is not necessarily as attentive. Baekhyun understands. They're not used to this much contact, but he leans into the touch. Baekhyun, _human Baekhyun_ , is _that_ love deprived.  
"I know." He repeats.

 

"Baekhyun stop trying to get into that box." Chanyeol calls around the edges of a yawn, somewhere in the background. His voice is just a distant sound, since Baekhyun is much more concentrated in trying to fish one of Sehun's toys out of a carton box that is -yes, the box itself- apparently one of Sehun's favorite toys/hiding spots/playgrounds, whatever one would call it. 

The box is just one of those carton boxes, it probably came with some laundry detergent, Baekhyun must've seen a label on the side. He's not sure and it's not important. What is important is that Sehun has a particular toy Baekhyun absolutely adores as a dog. He wouldn't care for it as a human, but finds himself reaching for it every time Sehun brings the toy to Chanyeol's house, or whenever they end up playing in the backyard of Kyungsoo's house with Jongin, as hybrids. The toy -a 99cent rope- it's all ragged and frayed, basically falling apart, but Baekhyun likes it. The reason is definitely not the fact that Chanyeol gave it to Sehun as a gift before he even got Baekhyun.

But well, what is/was Chanyeol's is usually also Baekhyun's, for some sort of mutual agreement they've stipulated during the years. 

The rope is hidden under a couple of mouse plushies, some sort of wand with a few feathers stuck at the very end and forgotten multicolored balls. It's so close, yet so far, since Baekhyun is trying hard not to face plant on the bottom of the box, and maybe try to gracefully jump inside. Or, given the circumstances, more like trying to fix the mess he's gotten himself into. He struggles to find some sort of grip on the carton box with his hind legs, left kicking the air in vain while he desperately tries to balance on the edge of the box. He tries again, pushing with both legs, his tail betraying him and wagging frantically. He barks, and the sound melts into a whine immediately, when he feels himself careening forward dangerously.

_What the hell is Baekhyun trying to do over there?_

It's Jongdae's voice, followed by Chanyeol's laugh. His voice is changing, it's just a bit deeper, it makes him sound like he caught a cold. And Baekhyun is still fighting gravity, on the border of the box. He squiggles, in a vague attempt of dragging his behind inside the box, and then stops moving altogether because he's just making the situation worse. 

_I have no idea, he must want one of Sehun's toys. Ask him when he shifts, later._

Chanyeol says, and Baekhyun gives a bark in protest. Mainly because Chanyeol is his human, and his human is not helping. No, instead he's there laughing at Baekhyun's unfortunate case with Jongdae. That's when Baekhyun smells Sehun, and he instantly wants to groan. The little fucker stands upright and leans against the box, right next to Baekhyun. He meows, a mix between a curious meow and an amused one, then he just jumps inside with a soft thump. He jumps in and lands on all four, easily. Then he turns, a glance of his green eyes towards Baekhyun still stuck there, a swish of his tail -a slow one- and he buries his little mouth under the pile of toys. What he drags out of it is the 99 cent rope that Baekhyun was looking for.

If Sehun weren't a beautiful, elegant grey cat right now, thus incapable of smiling, Baekhyun would've said that he was grinning. As easily as he jumped in the box, Sehun is just as fast to climb on the edge of it end hop off, leaving Baekhyun do deal with himself, without the toy. Baekhyun right out howls, outraged.

Sehun you're such an asshole.

It's Kyungsoo's voice, and it's close. Baekhyun's ears perk up in reaction as he tries to crane his head to the side, look at Kyungsoo, maybe get some help. He manages, and Kyungsoo is smiling, his bangs have grown long enough to half cover his eyes. Baekhyun lets out one more quiet whine when he feels Kyungsoo's hands on his sides, as he picks him up. 

"Oh Sehun you're an asshole, you know right?" Kyungsoo repeats as he moves a couple of steps away from the carton box and he gently pushes Sehun out of the way with his foot. “Don't ignore me, you booger, you know you are.” He’s still talking to Sehun, while Baekhyun gets manhandled until he's comfortably resting against Kyungsoo's shoulder. Sehun doesn't seem to like it that much. He claws at Kyungsoo's jeans, manages to climb half his leg and nibble at the distressed fabric closer to his knee. The rope he's fished out of the box lies on the floor, not that far.

"He doesn't even like that toy.” Kyungsoo starts, stroking Baekhyun’s back. It’s not something he does often, petting Baekhyun. Kyungsoo’s cuddles are strictly exclusive to Jongin and Sehun, so Baekhyun can’t help but feel a bit special. He licks a stripe down Kyungsoo’s neck, affectionately. Kyungsoo laughs, but he keeps on talking, while completely ignoring Sehun’s attempt to get attention. “I don't get why he gets so territorial when Baekhyun wants it."

 

"He's a cat.” Jongdae says, as if implying that his hybrid is so very different from a cat. “Cats are genetically assholes," he concludes. Kyungsoo snorts, as he sits on the floor, close to the couch where the others are being human lazy potatoes, all busy doing nothing at all. “Your hybrid is a panther, Jongdae.” Kyungsoo notes, and Baekhyun is put on the ground as well. “What do you think panthers are, dinosaurs?” 

"And they’re not assholes. Sehun is nice." Jongin adds, from next to Chanyeol, one of his hands digging into a bowl of popcorns. Sehun has given up his attempts of climbing on Kyungsoo. He jumps on the couch, clearly glaring at Jongdae, and he stretches from head to toe, tail upright, before he lets himself flop next to Jongin’s leg. He purrs, when Jongin runs his free and down his back, combing through his tail.

"Only to you and Kyungsoo, though.” Jongdae clips, his eyes lingering on Sehun just a tad longer. “You're biased, Jongin. Your opinion doesn't count." But he does look like he misses Seulgi there, since everyone except him has their own hybrid to play with. 

Jongin doesn’t seem too bothered by Jongdae’s comment. "True. But it's because we never manage to piss him off. He tolerates us, I guess." He says, and Sehun rolls onto his back so that Jongin can rub his stomach instead. His greyish tail kind of wrapped around his wrist, as much as a kitten as small as Sehun can manage.

"Still think he's a bit of an asshole. Must have taken it from his owner." Jongdae smirks, looking nonchalant for a moment. He’s a piece of shit when he wants to be, and Baekhyun kinda regrets being a corgi now, otherwise he’d contribute to the teasing probably.

"Jongdae it's not like I can't hear you, I'm here." Kyungsoo just glares at him for a moment, and he’s reaching somewhere beyond Baekhyun’s view, to pick up something which turns out to be a brush only when Baekhyun's head is held still and Kyungsoo is using it on his back, thoroughly.

"I wanted you to hear. It's a sign of my love for you. Don't you love me?" Jongdae goes on, pleading almost, dramatic, and Kyungsoo's reply comes quick and lethal, like an arrow, followed by general laughter. "Nope." 

Jongdae closes a fist on his chest, on the area where his heart is, shakes his head. "Cold, cold rejection." He calls, but he himself ends up chuckling along with the others in the comfortable silence. Chanyeol playing some games on his phone, and Sehun's constant purring are the most exciting activities going on, along with Kyungsoo creating a small Baekhyun made of dog fluff on the floor. "Wow Hyun you do shed a lot."

"He sheds tons." Chanyeol intervenes, letting himself slide down the couch until his bum hits the ground with a _thump_ "I can brush Baekhyun, it's ok." He says, and he takes the brush from Kyungsoo, dragging Baekhyun between his legs instead -to which Baekhyun doesn’t put up any resistance, splayed on the floor. "He's gonna shed everywhere otherwise. Doesn't Jongin shed a lot as well?"

"Yep. And Sehun too actually. At least Jongin doesn't vomit on my pillow. Sehun is an asshole." Yet it's Sehun who jumps off the couch until he's perching on Kyungsoo's knee, leaving Jongin to pet the air. And Kyungsoo gives in, this one time. He boops Sehun's nose, before scratching the back of his neck.

"And yet, you're petting him now." Jongdae comments, mirth in his voice. He's meant to tease, but Kyungsoo just hums in response, as he holds Sehun closer to his neck and nuzzles his nose on his neck.

Baekhyun stays mostly still, while Chanyeol goes through the brushing. "You literally made a second Baekhyun with all his hairs. Hyun, you're gonna go bald, I'm sorry." He lets Baekhyun lap at his palm, caresses his head without really looking at him. Baekhyun's tail is, as usual, flapping incessantly, much to Baekhyun annoyance. There's a small ball of fluff not too far from him, and as much as he knows Chanyeol said it as a joke, the thought of going bald is not the most pleasant.

"At least you're not covered in Seulgi's hairs. People at school think I'm a cat lady because her hairs get everywhere."

"And Seulgi likes to snuggle." Chanyeol answers back, to which Jongdae can't avoid to answer with a weak. "Well, yeah."

"Sometimes Sehun sleeps on my chest. And I wake up because he's heavy and I can't breathe." Kyungsoo says, and Sehun is just resting comfortably on his arm now, paws twitching slightly when Kyungsoo scratches at the right spot.

"Pretty sure he does that on purpose." Jongdae clips back, and Kyungsoo just shrugs. He doesn't seem to care. Jongin's response is a bit more elaborate, Baekhyun notes, and he finds himself getting a bit distracted, as Chanyeol brushes the front of his neck. "He can hear Kyungsoo's heartbeat and his breathing there. It's calming. Doesn't Seulgi do it as well? I'm pretty sure it's a cat thing."

"Seulgi has her own room. She only takes naps in mine. My mom would kill me if she slept in my room. With her being a girl and all."

"You kinda sound jealous there" Chanyeol says, as moves Baekhyun around a little to brush on his tummy first, then under his paws as well. It tickles, and Baekhyun squirms, curling on one side and reaching out to lick Chanyeol's wrist. It's still weird between them, especially when Baekhyun is not staying as a corgi -which is starting to happen more often in the last week or so. Chanyeol has asked him to shift, coming home from school. They've talked about anime series while watching some episodes on tv, discussed about school. Baekhyun could feel the tension, and he can feel it even now, while Chanyeol scratches lightly just above his back to calm him down, as he keeps grooming him.

But at least it's something, and Baekhyun has to acknowledge that Chanyeol is trying. "I think we're done here." He says, and he catches Baekhyun's muzzle with his hand, he pulls. Baekhyun pulls as well, in the opposite direction, recoiling. He barks, and Chanyeol laughs, as he does the same thing again. Closes his fingers around Baekhyun's head, tries to pull Baekhyun to himself only to have him sneak out of his grip and nibble at his fingers with a low, playful growl.

"You can shift later, if you want." He says, and he pushes Baekhyun to the side, not even that gently, only to attack him with a tickle session that has the hybrid wriggle, then whine loudly. 

 

"Are you abusing your hybrid over there?" Kyungsoo asks, sneering playfully.

Chanyeol just nods, and Baekhyun would cackle if he could. "Yes, I'm actually oppressing him, can't you see?" He cries, loud, agonizing whines. On purpose. Chanyeol finds it funny. "Pure torture!" He says.

 

Kyungsoo's house is not that big, despite the fact that he has one more hybrid, and that his parents obviously live with him. His mom is into politics, which means that their house has flyers for the last election campaign scattered here and there. Baekhyun swears he's seen some as vegetable wrapping in the fridge.

It's Kyungsoo who's suggested that they stay together for one night during the weekend, since his parents are away on a trip, but -Baekhyun suspects- mostly because he's heard from Jongdae about Chanyeol and Baekhyun's not exactly smooth friendship issues going on right now. Jongdae's mom wasn't too keen on Seulgi being the only girl among a bunch of hormonal teenagers, and that's the reason why she hasn't joined them. 

It's quite cold in the backyard where Jongdae and Chanyeol are struggling with barbecue and Kyungsoo is focused on getting the meat and sausages to cook nicely. Jongin and Sehun are standing close to the grill and, despite being covered in multiple layers of clothing, Sehun still shivers every now and then. Jongin has his arms circling his upper arms, his digging in the crook of Sehun's neck. 

"Are you that cold?" He asks, murmuring, and Baekhyun can hear only because he's standing right next to them, holding a piece of rigid carton in one hand and alcohol in the other, just in case they need to blow the flames in the opposite direction or make them bigger. Sehun nods first, then continues. "Mh, I think I caught something." He says.

It catches Kyungsoo's attention, as expected. He looks up, takes a quick glance at the two of them, snuggling. "Jongin come here." He sounds more like an order than a request, and it has Jongdae and Chanyeol frown for a second. "You were sick just a while ago, I just don't want you to get a cold." Kyungsoo manages to sound really mature and responsible for a second, but he doesn't budge at Jongin's reply. 

"Don't want to" Jongin says, and if possible he seems to wrap around Sehun ever closer. Kyungsoo does seem a little miffed, but he's smiling when he meets Baekhyun's eyes.

 

They're all wearing pajamas already, which translates to questionable graphic t-shirts with unknown superheroes on them, except for Jongdae's Spongebob jumper and Kyungsoo, who looks like the grim reaper in a black hoodie. "Just let him be, he'll be fine." Chanyeol comments nonchalantly, as he pokes the coals with a mental stick pretending to know what he's doing. Baekhyun stares for a second too long, enough for Chanyeol to meet his eyes, crinkle a smile, almost embarrassed, before he lowers his gaze.

Baekhyun's standing next to Chanyeol while they eat like pigs, no forks whatsoever -Kyungsoo doesn't like it, but he doesn't complain because it's mostly Jongin's idea, to spare the cutlery. He's struggling to make the hotdog fit inside his mouth, while Jongdae fills yet another sandwich with more sausages than necessary. "We're all midgets, we need to grow. Meat for the men." he claims, and it makes Jongin snort, still draped all over Sehun. "I'm just fine." He mumbles, more on Sehun's skin than out loud for everyone to hear.

"I'm tall enough." Chanyeol adds as well, but he still reaches for the over filled hotdog, because he can. Jongdae nods at him like a proud father, Kyungsoo is mostly disgusted, Baekhyun doesn't really know what to think, except that it pulls an involuntary smile on his face. Chanyeol takes a bite, then holds it right in front of Baekhyun's mouth, for him to dig in. He's smiling, in a good mood apparently. Baekhyun is taken aback for a moment there. 

"..I have one already?" He points out, confused, holding up the hot dog in his left hand, half eaten already. "Oh." Chanyeol manages, then he shrugs and brushes some crumbles off Baekhyun's lips with the back of his sweater, distractedly, as if it was the most natural gesture.

Maybe it is, considering how he plays it off as something normal, as he shoves the rest of the hotdog into his mouth. He ends up looking like a hamster as he tries to chew it, it's quite funny. Baekhyun doesn't give importance to it, but he doesn't like the way Chanyeol's touch on his skin seems to linger. 

He lets himself be pulled in by Chanyeol, however, one arm draped heavily on Baekhyun's back, Chanyeol's chin uncomfortably resting on his head. It's nice. Baekhyun doesn't want to be let go of any time soon. It’s more that it feels right, it always feels right with Chanyeol.

"So I bought this ribbon for Seulgi." Jongdae starts, as he turns yet another sausage on the grill so that it cooks on the opposite side as well. He's made sure that the coals are glowing red. "Oh my god." He gets interrupted the second he opens his mouth to speak again, his eyes stopping on Kyungsoo, since he's the one who talked. "I can't believe it." Kyungsoo repeats, while he moves slowly, until he's next to Jongin and Sehun. He's pulling off a smile that looks more like he's trying hard to to laugh at Jongdae.

"What? It's really cool, she loves it." Jongdae's lifts the tongs he's using to move the meat on the grill, as if to make a point, and he does seem convinced that there's nothing wrong with the ribbon. Baekhyun himself raises an eyebrow, oblivious. He looks up at Chanyeol who's leaning on him as he was a couple of minutes earlier. If possible, he puts more weight on Baekhyun in response to that.

"I can't believe Lee Jaehwan convinced you in the end." He says, one hand coming to stroke Baekhyun's ears, then the shape of his head down to his nape. "I didn't even put the adidog jumpsuit on Baekhyun but you went and bought a ribbon. For Seulgi." He sounds almost disgusted, and it doesn't suit him, but there's a hint of a grin threatening to show on his lips.

"What's wrong with Seulgi wearing a ribbon..?" Baekhyun asks. Chanyeol has to turn his head to explain about Jaehwan, and the iguana hats. "I think Jaehwan has more miniature outfits for Sanghyuk than Yoora ever did for her barbies, and Jongdae was insisting that it was so not cool, but now he's buying ribbons for his girlfriend."

Baekhyun chuckles, his fingertips following the goosebumps that form on Chanyeol's forearm when the wind becomes a little too chilly. "Kyungsoo, I'm not wearing anything like that." Sehun announces, when Jongin finally stops hugging him, opting to go lie down next to Kyungsoo, like a starfish on the porch.  
"I don't think Kyungsoo will buy you an outfit Sehun." Baekhyun notes, nonchalantly, when he curls himself into yet another one of Chanyeol's hand me downs as Jongdae circles the grill to feed him some spare meat.

"I might consider the ribbon thing. With a cute little bell maybe?" Sehun's face gets really red for a second, no matter how dark the backyard is and with how much determination he's staring at the ground. "You wouldn't." He snaps back, but he mustn't be too impressed with the fact that Kyungsoo doesn't reply.

 

They end up not sleeping shifted as they'd planned, preferring to crowd the living room of Kyungsoo's with some spare blankets and the two sleeping bags Chanyeol and Jongdae have brought from home. The floor is heated, which Sehun seems to love, given how he's curled up -as a human- in the middle of a cushion fort, Jongin and Kyungsoo each splayed next to his sides. Sehun's fingers grip on the edge of Kyungsoo's sweater. He manages to look exactly like a cat even when he sleeps, his tail all wrapped around one of his legs.

Baekhyun doesn't mind sleeping next to Chanyeol despite the awkwardness, he's been doing it for years now, abrupt shifting in the night and awkward morning after included. He's so used to it, that the first thing he notices when he wakes up blinking in the darkness of the living room is that Chanyeol is not there. And Baekhyun is cold, and needs the bathroom -courtesy of the whole coke bottle that Jongdae and him have shared after the barbecue.

The digital clock on the small table in the corner reads 3:30 am, projecting a creepy, greenish lighting where Kyungsoo and Jongin are supposed to be, and there's only Sehun instead, hogged up under a few blankets, only his grey ears peeking out. 

Baekhyun sits up, a quick panoramic of the pitch black room before pushing himself up with a yawn, the furniture and the couch only indistinct shapes. He knuckles the sleepiness off his eyes and finds them puffed, as he drags heavy steps towards the corridor. He leans on the wall on his left, one hand scratching the back of his shoulder. Yet another yawn escapes his mouth, scrunching up his face in a grimace.

The grimace gets uglier, if possible, when the light in the corridor automatically switches on, almost blinding Baekhyun and startling a just as surprised Chanyeol, sitting up against the wall. Chanyeol muffles a screech behind one hand, suddenly conscious about the rest of the people sleeping in the house. He groans, though, an arm covering his eyes. Baekhyun is too sleepy to react properly, but he almost jumps out of his skin. He lets himself slide down the opposite wall until he's sitting on the floor. His ears still flat on his head. He'd probably be shaking if he wasn't human right now. Eyes closed, his heart is pounding.

Chanyeol stares at him like he's seen a ghost, his hand gripping the front of his pajama top.

“Fuck you.” Baekhyun whispers-scream. “You just scared the shit out of me Park Chanyeol.” He crawls until he's sitting next to the other, and Chanyeol positively seems not to realize until he blinks a couple of time, eyes focusing on Baekhyun's face. “What are you doing here?” He asks, not completely aware of what he's saying. He's slurring.

“Park Chanyeol, it's three am, what do you think I'm doing here?" Baekhyun rhetorically asks. "I need to pee. I'm bursting. Why are you on the floor?”

There's a muffled laugh from the bathroom, down the corridor. The door is slightly ajar, and that's enough to catch Baekhyun's attention, his eyes flicking to the very end of the corridor where the lightbulb of the corridor doesn't work, but there's a definite strip of light seeping out from the bathroom. “What's going on..?” 

“I think Kyungsoo is in there.” Chanyeol replies, as he yawns, tilting his head back until it touches the white wall. "Your eyes are swollen, Hyun." He mumbles, absentmindedly.

“Well, unless he wants me to mark the territory here..” Baekhyun whispers more to himself that to Chanyeol, slightly annoyed as he stands up, using the wall as leverage. He leaves Chanyeol behind him, as he moves a couple of steps forward, before he feels his hoodie being pulled back. “Hey where are you going?" Chanyeol is looking up at him, as he gradually tries to stand up as well. "Kyungsoo is gonna be so pissed if you walk up on him taking a dump..” He adds, his voice low.

“Yeol shut up.” Baekhyun clips, and Chanyeol does, without complaining. Instead, he grabs on Baekhyun's arm as they stealthily try to get closer to the bathroom -Baekhyun tries not to think that he doesn't mind the touch. A few more whispers coming from the end of the corridor, and Baekhyun's suspicion about Kyungsoo not being in there to do take a dump are slowly becoming certainty. 

“He's in there with Nini.” He announces in a whisper, and Chanyeol lets go of his arm, suddenly. “What?” He croaks, mostly out of disbelief. Baekhyun cranes his head slightly to take a better look at Chanyeol's expression. "Why would he be there with Jongin?"

A flick of his shoulders and Baekhyun closes the distance between them and the bathroom. They probably shouldn't be there at all, given that it's not even their house, but his bladder is complaining and that woke him up -and Chanyeol wasn't there, but he wouldn't never admit that this insignificant detail pissed him off. He flattens himself against the wall, Chanyeol following him right behind. He raises his hand to tell him to halt, and leans forward to take a good peek inside. If his jaw could drop to the floor it probably would. 

“Oh fuck.” Chanyeol whispers, instinctively grabbing Baekhyun's forearm, his head on his hybrid's shoulder as he hunches forward to have a better view of Jongin and Kyungsoo, kissing. Kim Jongin and Do Kyungsoo, kissing.

Jongin sitting on the toilet lid with a sleepy shit-eating grin, Kyungsoo tilting his head back to kiss him, slowly, then deepen the kiss. Jongin doesn't seem to mind, his hands going up to Kyungsoo's shoulders. It feels intimate, something private Baekhyun and Chanyeol shouldn't be spying on, it feels weird, heat coming up to Baekhyun's face because nope, he shouldn't be watching this. He probably shouldn't even know. And why are they kissing anyway? 

He jerks back involuntarily, hits Chanyeol's chin and doesn't manage to suppress his whine. Chanyeol just grunts, reaching for his chin with one hand, his other hand on Baekhyun's head, to press the pain away somehow.

It's Jongin who notices their presence first and gently pushes Kyungsoo back, both hands on his chest, eyes fixed on Baekhyun's. “What's wrong?” Kyungsoo asks, a murmur, before turning his head back, his eyebrow arching slightly. He doesn't seem to mind that they've been found out. His eyes meet Baekhyun's first, then his gaze shifts, probably to meet Chanyeol's, and he takes a few steps away from the toilet -and Jongin.

It takes a while for Baekhyun to regain the use of his voice, but when he does, he still whispers, not to wake up Sehun and Jongdae, probably snoring like crazy in the living room. “Fuck it hurts.. " He elbows Chanyeol in the hip, and the other flinches while Kyungsoo just stared. "What do you have in that chin, vibranium or something?” He continues. And only after a few seconds his attention is back to Kyungsoo and Jongin. “And are you guys together? What the hell was that?”

There's nothing technically wrong between the two of them kissing, Baekhyun doesn't care. And still, there's a loud _ping_ in the back of his mind that he can't fully identify. 

“Sort of?” Kyungsoo replies, and that has Chanyeol go quite rigid, behind Baekhyun. “I didn't even think you liked guys." Baekhyun comments, but there's no real anger or rush in his voice. "what the hell Do Kyungsoo.. why were you keeping it secret?" He asks, fidgeting with the edges of his hoodie. "we're friends." They're friends and he's a bit disappointed, and that's all.

Chanyeol, instead, he prefers to stay silent, close enough to Baekhyun that his breath fans on his ears. “Does Sehun know about this?” It's the only thing he says, and it's somewhat serious. It doesn't fit Chanyeol much, 

It takes Kyungsoo a while to reply, and when he does, it's a reply Baekhyun was kind of expecting. “He doesn't.”

“Then find a way and tell him, you freaking live together Soo.” Chanyeol insists, taking a couple of steps away from Baekhyun, closer to the bathroom now. Jongin doesn't say anything. The look on his face, surprised, must be a reaction to Chanyeol's annoyance. “I will when the moment comes.” Kyungsoo says, his hand on the bathroom door handle.

“Well, let that moment come soon because I don't care if we don't know, but Sehun should. Now Hyun and I need to pee, are you done?” 

Baekhyun is mostly pushed inside the bathroom unceremoniously, and when Chanyeol raises his gaze to meet his eyes, and he smiles, Baekhyun wonders again what that _ping_ was.

 

Yifan has his own room. It must be because Junmyeon is rich -well, not exactly rich, but rich enough to have a bigger house in the central district of the city- but also, and Yifan insists on this, because Junmyeon's dad wanted him to be independent and have his own space. Also, Yifan was positively shocked when he found out that not only Baekhyun sleeps in the same bed as Chanyeol most of the times, but that also other people do.

"So is it working?" Baekhyun stretches on the wooden floor of Yifan's room, arms crossed under his neck, spread legs and no socks. There's light entering from the big window on the left side of the room, it's keeping him warm and Baekhyun loves warm. "What?" Yifan asks, more concentrated on whatever he's trying to do on his bed, bottom up, chin perched on his palm.

"Have you tried sleeping with 'Myeon yet?" Yifan's head snaps back, a mask of horror on his face that disappears before Baekhyun can blink. "I meant you as a hybrid. Napping on his bed, you pervert."

"Oh." Yifan chuckles this deep, nasal laugh and goes back to what he's writing on his school notebook. "I did. It's actually nice, you're right. I did sleep well." He concedes, nods a couple of times. "What about your problem with Chanyeol?" 

Yifan is almost cautious when he asks, which he never is. He's brazen and rough most of the times, but he can be such a caring character when Baekhyun needs him to. He shakes his head, his eyes on the ceiling. "Nope."

Yifan doesn't ask, but Baekhyun waits a good minute before he formulates a better answer. "I've not talked to him yet. But he has been asking me to shift more often. That was nice. I want to properly talk to him, though." He takes a deep breath, more to calm down this restlessness that he keeps feeling.

"You ok?" Yifan is hovering over him while kneeling next to Baekhyun. He pokes his forehead, then his cheek, and Baekhyun groans as he turns to avoid Yifan's fingers. He laughs though, and the other just sits there, silent. "You don't look ok."

"I..I'm not feeling that well, to be honest." Baekhyun ends up admitting, as Yifan's hand reaches to check his temperature on his forehead and neck. "Maybe you're just tired. Call Chanyeol to pick you up, maybe?"

He thinks about it, and he tries to convince himself that he's only calling because he doesn't feel that well, that it has nothing to do with the fact that he actually _wants_ Chanyeol to pick him up. It's complicated, when feelings that hybrids have for their owners being their owners get all mingled with their real feelings for them, either as friends, or as lovers.

The call takes a while to connect, and when Chanyeol replies he's laughing. _Hyun, is everything alright? I'm at the music academy at the moment.._ He was clearly talking to someone else, and despite the time being a bit odd to be at the music academy, Baekhyun doesn't ask questions. He babbles something about wanting to check up on him.

Yifan is staring at him, judging, from the other side of the room. _I'm helping a friend to record a couple of songs. I'll be back later tonight I think._ This situation is new, Chanyeol coming back late is normal, Chanyeol recording songs with a friend that Baekhyun knows nothing of, is weird. 

"Oh." Is all he says for a while, until the friend's voice echoes in the call. _Yeol come on, how does this sound instead?_ It's a voice Baekhyun has never heard before, or at least he can't connect immediately. Yifan has now abandoned his task, focused on Baekhyun holding on his phone.

"You sound busy. I'll see you later at home then?" A bit obvious, but he doesn't really know what to say. He's not sure when it became this awkward between them, but it definitely is. _Yeah_ Chanyeol says. _Gotta go now! Talk later Hyun!_

Chanyeol is the first to hang up, and Baekhyun's eyes meet Yifan's, apologetic. "So.. Want to walk home with me instead?" And he hopes Yifan says yes.

He does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me ç__ç  
> Sorry if the chapter is too long -and that it took a while to update. I bet you didn't expect the unexpected development /chuckles/ I'd love to hear your thoughts about it! Also, I know there's quite a lot of krisbaek going on, but we have to get to the juicy part of the story, so of course some pre happening was needed ( and don't freak out too much about it )
> 
> See you for the next update! /sends love/
> 
> ps. Chanyeol and Baekhyun don't pee together in the bathroom lmao


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally!  
> As usual, I wrote this chapter while listening to this: [cliq!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjsX1yEuz3s)  
> It's not really related to the lyrics, but the music put me in the mood. :D  
> !!!! Also, this chapter contains an explicit sexual scene with Krisbaek (no sexual intercourse). I've added a small disclaimer before the scene so you know you can jump from there if you can't stand it.
> 
> This being said...enjoy!

Baekhyun wakes up human, sweaty and with a raging boner only partially hidden under the duvet. Chanyeol’s cold nose brushes against his nape and Baekhyun shivers, mostly out of sensitivity. A bit because it tickles, a bit because it feels too good to be just Chanyeol’s nose accidentally grazing his skin. Chanyeol doesn’t seem to care that Baekhyun’s hair is wet with sweat as it is the rest of his body, and he subconsciously pulls him closer, one arm circling his sternum, gently.

It’s weird, and Baekhyun is sticky and gross in regions of his body where he definitely wouldn’t want to feel sticky. He tries to tell himself he shouldn’t panic, but that’s exactly what he does because it’s so embarrassing and it’s the first time something like this happens right next to Chanyeol. Guys will be guys, and they’ve probably seen each others naked in different circumstances. However, Chanyeol sleeping next to a sweaty horny Baekhyun has never happened before.

Baekhyun feels sick and too warm to be ok. He needs to get out of bed as soon as possible, maybe shower and then find a way to snatch the duvet and shove it in the laundry without the rest of the family noticing the obvious stain where Baekhyun’s crotch was.

He tries to peel Chanyeol’s arm off him first, trying even harder not to wake him. He manages to slide off the bed, somehow, and grimace looking down, then towards the stained duvet. Chanyeol has curled up on his side like he always sleeps when he’s got nothing to cuddle or hug, and he mumbles something as his brows furrow.

Baekhyun stares at him for a few seconds, his heart beating fast from the adrenaline, from the fact that he’s probably running a fever and now he’s also freezing. Naked, in the middle of the room and still sweaty. He folds his arms, half hugging himself, half hunching and searches around the room for any kind of clothing to cover himself with.

His hard-on is still there when he crouches to pick up one of Chanyeol’s sweaters from the floor. A fast glance to the digital clock on the bedstand says it’s 3:45 a.m. and he shouldn’t be awake, moving around the room like a thief.

“Hyun…”

Baekhyun breathing hitches first, then becomes more shallow as he stands up quickly. Chanyeol is looking at him with sleepy, but concerned eyes. It pulls at Baekhyun’s heart, but it doesn’t prevent him from feeling himself heat up on the face. “... Are you ok?,” Chanyeol tries once more, and he sits up on the bed.

They exchange a long, quiet glance and Chanyeol seems to force himself not too look and not to see things Baekhyun wouldn’t want him to see. “I don’t… know…?,” Baekhyun hesitates. “I’m so sorry about your bed … This has never happened before…,” he blurts out, his hands curl into the fabric of Chanyeol’s sweater he’s just picked up. It’s thin, perfect for autumn.

Chanyeol looks confused, but his hand wandering on the mattress must notice how damp it is from Baekhyun’s sweat. His expression goes from confused to concerned. “Want me to call mom?”  
Baekhyun snorts with yet one more full body shiver and hints at his lack of underwear. “I... don’t think it’s a good idea.” He pauses, inhaling deeply. “I just need a shower.”

He sees Chanyeol nodding in the dim light of the room, before he pushes the duvet aside and gets off the bed slowly. He’s obviously tired. Baekhyun feels a pang of guilt as usual.

“Just sleep Yeol, I’ll manage.” He offers, weakly. He doesn’t expect Chanyeol to shake his head and yawn, stretching both his arms above his head. He’s wearing a Pokémon pajama top and an old pair of blue gym shorts.

Chanyeol scratches his tummy and Baekhyun’s boner reacts, making Baekhyun gasp first, then want to die right there. He’s fast to cover it with the sweater, as Chanyeol walks towards him and thankfully stops before he’s too close.

“Go shower, I’ll go look for your clothes downstairs and change the sheets.” Chanyeol’s eyes hesitate for a moment and Baekhyun feels too exposed. He is naked, but it wouldn’t be the first time. He’s naked and embarrassed, and his body is doing things he doesn’t fully understand.

Baekhyun nods, and is careful not to move the sweater too much as he walks out of the room, Chanyeol following him a few steps behind.

 

Showering helps, at least up to a certain extent. Baekhyun has to take care of his boner by himself, after Chanyeol sneaks in to leave towels and clothes on the sink for Baekhyun to use later. He doesn’t ask questions, and Baekhyun is thankful he doesn’t because he wouldn’t know what to answer. There’s this idea at the back of his brain, but he keeps pushing it away, too afraid to actually consider it.

He’s been a teenager for a while, it’s not the first time he feels the need to lock the bathroom and have some fun. However, touching himself feels a bit different than usual, this time, and he doesn’t know if it’s because he just woke up next to Chanyeol, but his mind wanders back to him more than Baekhyun would like.

There’s condensation on the bathroom tiles as Baekhyun rests his forehead against the wall and forces himself to think about anything but Chanyeol hugging him back in their room.

He’s still embarrassed when he comes out of the bathroom with damp ears and tail, and a towel draped on his shoulders. The cold air of the corridor makes his hairs stand a little. Chanyeol has ended up choosing a comfy, lightweight fabric pajama to give him from his endless collection -this one has Star Wars characters on it. Baekhyun knows Chanyeol has done it on purpose, knowing most of Baekhyun clothes were not really meant for sleeping.

The pajama is too big, as usual, and Baekhyun’s cheek still feel a bit hot as he drags his feet on the wooden floor of the corridor. He’s tired but at the same time he doesn't want to fall asleep again only to wake up to more embarrassing situations.

Chanyeol is unexpectedly waiting for him sitting on the floor cross legged as he swings slightly back and forth. It steals Baekhyun a smile, because Chanyeol’s eyes are clearly closed. He must have fallen asleep while Baekhyun was in the bathroom.

"Yeol..."

It's one of his habits, to nudge at Chanyeol's leg with his toe. "...Yeol are you gonna sleep here?" He pokes one of Chanyeol's cheek with his index finger first, then almost cups Chanyeol's cheek with his palm before he can realize what he’s doing. Chanyeol’s cheek is cold compared to the temperature of Baekhyun's skin. It's soothing. Baekhyun has never even thought of touching Chanyeol's cheek like that, but now it's almost like he feels the need to do it.

Chanyeol's eyes flicker open and he groans, shaking his head. His hand instinctively reaches for Baekhyun's fingers on his cheek, and Baekhyun feels himself go all hot again, suddenly. His heart skips a bit when Chanyeol looks up, sleepily, and he stretches his lips in a goofy smile.  
Baekhyun lowers his hand to Chanyeol's shoulder and Chanyeol's fingers slide to hold his wrist, almost automatically.

"Do you feel any better?" Chanyeol voice is quite raspy in the mornings, and it must be the same now since he's just woken up. His fingers are still curled around Baekhyun's wrist as the hybrid nods slightly.

"Yeah..." Baekhyun starts while Chanyeol uses the door frame to lever himself up. "... I'm still sorry for the bedsheets," Baekhyun continues and he takes a step back. Chanyeol lets go of his wrist, he stretches his arms on the back of his head once again.

"It's ok Hyun," he reassures, as he slowly walks to the bedroom. "It's not like you could know it. Mom won't see them, I already started the washing machine." Baekhyun takes a deep breath and nods again, his head hanging low, as he follows Chanyeol quietly.

"Let's go back to sleep, we have school tomorrow." Chanyeol offers, and lightly pats the mattress so that Baekhyun can join him. They've slept on the same bed so many times since Chanyeol got Baekhyun as his hybrid that Baekhyun couldn't remember if he ever hesitated like he's doing now.

He swallows, wondering if there's something wrong with him. Part of him wants to stay as far as possible from Chanyeol, part of him wants to cling to Chanyeol more than usual. He wants attention, which is something Baekhyun craves, sometimes, but is strong enough to keep it at bay. Today however he's staring at the ceiling, Chanyeol curled up next to him.

Chanyeol's hand plays with the soft edges of his ears quietly. They twitch; Chanyeol chuckles, low, then continues his exploration to the ends of Baekhyun's hair, holding them between his fingers. "Please don't catch a cold," he whispers drowsily, as he nuzzles his face against Baekhyun's shoulder. "You're really warm though, Hyun..."

Chanyeol's arm folds on Baekhyun's belly, he sounds worried as much as sleepy. "...Do you really feel better? Are you really sure we shouldn’t wake my mom?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, but turns onto his side enough to have a bit more of Chanyeol close to his nose. "I'm ok...I think." He whispers back, but takes a good sniff of Chanyeol's scent and he does feel a bit better. Safe.

Chanyeol hums, but scoots closer so that Baekhyun is curling up around him, and Chanyeol's face is hidden closer to the hybrid's neck. "Sleep, puppy. It's late." He murmurs.

Baekhyun's tail wags by itself for a while, Baekhyun's heart all warm and beating.  
Chanyeol has managed to make him forget about the accident for now.  
He doesn't feel that flustered or embarrassed anymore. All is good.

 

When Baekhyun wakes up the morning after he's still feeling fine. He's slightly earlier than the alarm, but for once he appreciates the concept of sleeping next to Chanyeol as a fully clothed human instead of a naked one, due to shifting during the night.

Chanyeol is still snoring, quietly, and his eyes are just slightly open. It makes him look a bit scary, or extremely funny at the same time. Baekhyun tries to push one eyelid closed, still curled up next to Chanyeol, who has tangled his legs with Baekhyun's in his sleep.

When Baekhyun snorts, a tuft of Chanyeol's hair perks up.

 

Hybrids know basically nothing about heat until they either get it themselves or see others get it first. Only then they learn how it _really_ works. In Baekhyun’s case, he’s only ever heard of it at school. All he can remember all the non practical notions from his Hybrid Anatomy classes and a few more graphic details he’s come to know through the very informative porn videos involving hybrids in heat that Yifan has showed him in the last two years -- and everyone knows that school is school, and porn is not really accurate.

These are the main reasons why Baekhyun completely ignores all the signals walking into his classroom on first period with a patina of sweat on his forehead. He doesn’t know what heat feels like, and he only feels sick. He keeps thinking he’s running a fever, that he wants to go home until he’s in the middle of class and he can’t concentrate anymore because he’s shaking.

Baekhyun is shaking and everything is scorching hot; the linen of his button up sticking to his body, the desk, Baekhyun’s hands as he tries desperately to cool himself down a little. _Everything_ including the blood boiling in his veins,

 

He feels so embarrassed that he needs to hide his face on the teacher’s shoulder when he ends up being carried because his legs give up -- he careens onto the desk and the teacher pulls him up. Nobody snickers behind him, or maybe they do and Baekhyun is too out of it to notice.

He squirms in the professor’s hold, as he realizes that the only thing he wants to do now is rut against him; against the teacher who’s middle aged and Baekhyun has never found the least attractive but it doesn’t matter. He needs relief and he needs it now, so he whines and thrashes about and presses his face and his nose to the teacher’s neck.

 

“You smell so bad, fuck Byun, what the hell?” Baekhyun tilts his head to the side when Yifan comes into view on the infirmary door. He’s as disheveled as ever, his button up has a couple of the buttons undone -- Baekhyun could almost see the black T-shirt Yifan is wearing underneath, if it wasn’t that the light suppressants make him too distracted.

Yifan stares at him for a couple of seconds, as if evaluating how much of a good idea it is, to get closer to Baekhyun right now. He inhales slowly, Baekhyun sees him close his eyes and frown. “Are you in a low?” His voice is coarser than it was a couple of seconds earlier, Baekhyun thinks he knows why.

The low fire the suppressants have relegated his heat into is still there, buzzing in the background, constant reminder. It still makes Baekhyun limbs tingle, Yifan’s closeness is not helping much. Baekhyun’s hair is sticking to his forehead; he probably smells like sweat too, other than sex and pheromones. He hopes Yifan doesn’t notice.

Baekhyun hides this all behind a snort, levering himself up so that he’s resting on his elbow.  
“They gave me suppressants but I’m still as hard as rock and I want…,” he lets the sentence fall like that, swallowing the rest of whatever he _wants_. Yifan _knows_ what Baekhyun wants. Yifan has been there before him.

Baekhyun shoots him a glance, helpless and angry at the same time. Angry because he didn’t want any of this and yet somehow his body, his brain right now keep just going round and round, back to the same thing Baekhyun needs. _Sex_.

He wants skin against his skin, even if for now it’s just a craving, like wanting ice-cream.

Yifan sighs, but seems to decide that moving closer is safe. He sits on the edge of the stretches, his ass half in the air, half on the mattress. Baekhyun folds his knees to his chest.

“Why did you call me?” Yifan reaches out to ruffle Baekhyun’s fringe away from his face and that causes a sharp intake of air from Baekhyun. He shivers: a full body shiver that forces Baekhyun to close his eyes, squeeze them shut. That, however, doesn’t seem to discourage Yifan. He keeps his hand there, swipes Baekhyun’s forehead with his thumb. The softness of Yifan’s hand calms him and the shaking subsides.

“I can’t go home like this.” Baekhyun lets out. There’s helplessness in his voice while his fingers curl around the fabric of the cuffs of Yifan’s button up, rolled up to his elbows.

“But you _are_ going home.” Yifan flicks Baekhyun’s forehead and Baekhyun pushes him down the bed with his knee. Yifan huffs, and smacks Baekhyun’s shin with fake annoyance.

“Chanyeol can take you to the vet. Then they can give you proper suppressants and you’ll be fine. Mh?” Yifan explains, as if there’s no more logical option on the table. Baekhyun knows there isn’t. “Well, you’ll be horny, but-”

“Nope.” Baekhyun’s grip on Yifan’s wrist is sudden, but not as strong as he would want. Yifan’s skin is cool, more inviting than it should be. “No.” Baekhyun repeats. “I’m not going. And you’re not calling Chanyeol.” His voice breaks in the second part of the sentence, desperate.

“Hyun…” Yifan starts, and Baekhyun knows he’s being stupid. He’s exhausted, though, and the buzzing, the vibration of his heat in the back of his head keeps pushing, more and more insistent.

“Yifan please.” He begs, but at this point he’s not even looking at him. It’s only Baekhyun’s fingers gripping at Yifan’s shirt, again. “ _Please_ don’t tell him.”

“Hyun… You know what happens if you don’t take the drugs, right?” Yifan asks, giving his back to Baekhyun, his head turned back enough to half see him. It’s funny how worried he sounds, when Baekhyun should be the worried one here. Baekhyun is scared to death.

He chuckles, because he doesn’t really know what else to do. And because he really doesn’t feel like crying when his dick thinks otherwise. “I guess I can imagine. You know, me wanting to fuck the teacher wasn’t fantasyland…”

Yifan whimpers, his face contorted in a grimace of disgust at the mention of the teacher, but he ends up turning to face Baekhyun again. He folds one leg on the stretcher. His hand on Baekhyun’s knee is reassuring, the light grip grounds Baekhyun, it distracts him from that incessant reminder that somewhere a clock is ticking.

“Byun I’m not joking.” Yifan’s fingers enclose Baekhyun kneecap a bit tighter. Baekhyun is pretty sure he can smell him, all of him right now, and he’s making an effort to act normal. Yifan is precious. “You’ll beg for sex. Any type of sexual interaction. And since you’ll have no suppressants you’ll have to become best friends with your hand and fingers.”

Yifan is direct, he’s blunt and doesn’t care about shocking people, nor he cares about shocking Baekhyun at this point. “And it’ll be like today for a few days.” He concludes, his eyes fixed on Baekhyun’s, serious. “Still sure you don’t want to tell Park?”

Baekhyun closes his eyes, slowly. He spreads his palms on the sheets. Is he only imagining it or the room is getting hotter again? He nods, frantically. “I know it’s really stupid but… It’s for the best. Just for this one time. Please.” Baekhyun begs, then breathes in deeply.

His heartbeat increases, gradually. He feels himself lean into Yifan’s shoulder and he’s grateful when Yifan circles his shoulders with an arm, pulls him closer.

“The effect is running out isn’t it?” Yifan drows figures on Baekhyun’s back with those insanely huge hands of his, probably thinking he’s helping somehow. If anything, the buzzing is getting louder, faster, but Yifan’s scent is too good, too familiar for Baekhyun to take a distance.

He breathes in again and he can’t help the whimper that hangs from the exhale that follows. “Yeah, I think so.” He confirms, but buries his face into Yifan’s neck, gets closer if possible. “Do I smell that bad?” His words are muffled against the fabric of Yifan’s uniform.

“You smell like sex Byun. You’re in heat.” Yifan concedes, and he tries to make it sound lighthearted. He only ends up sounding worried at Baekhyun’s increasing pants.

Baekhyun whines, low, when a new wave of warmth and arousal washes over his body, making him squirm. “I noticed.” He manages to mutter, but he’s obviously losing it slowly. “It’s hot. I’ve never found you attractive but all of a sudden you are.”

Yifan would’ve hit him already, if Baekhyun wasn’t this much in distress. He lifts the covers, and Baekhyun will eternally thank Hyosung and her idea of having him wear his gym uniform because even if he is already hard again, at least it doesn’t show much yet.

Yet.

“It’s your dick speaking.” Yifan shrugs off. He keeps Baekhyun close as he helps him get off the bed. Baekhyun’s back to shaking, despite the sweat making his clothes stick to his skin all over again.

“Is it already bad?” Yifan asks. They move a couple of steps, and it’s mostly Yifan dragging him as Baekhyun breathes in his scent, succumbs to the heat. He pants, his hands desperately itch to touch, he finds himself reaching for the waistband of Yifan’s pants.

“I didn’t…” He hesitates, forces that hand back to grasp at the fabric of Yifan’s button up. “...I still don’t know what’s going on. Yifan-,” he calls. Yifan looks down immediately, even stops. He balances Baekhyun against him properly and the hybrid curls up on himself with a weak whimper.

“Great, the effect of the drug is almost over and we’re still at school.” Yifan mutters under his breath. Baekhyun doesn’t have the mental strength to formulate a reply for a while. The only thing he knows and is hyper aware about is where Yifan is holding him, how warm he is, how he thinks maybe he wants _him_ after all.

“You took your...” He murmurs, while Yifan calls a cab and they’re waiting outside of the school gate. “...Sweet time taking your ass here.”

“This is not the time to be sassy.” Yifan properly hugs him now, and Baekhyun tries hard not to grind against him -although that’s _exactly_ what he wants to do. “But you’re, welcome Byun,” Yifan says, with a smirk Baekhyun would find funny otherwise.

He’s too far gone, though. He only hopes the taxi will come soon.

 

Baekhyun knows Yifan is having a hard time keeping him still, pressed to his side, while Baekhyun squirms and buries his face into Yifan’s shoulder. It’s hard to process anything that is not the hardness between his legs pressed into Yifan’s hip and the warmth fuelling through his veins, driving him crazy.

It’s quite the distance to walk from where the taxi left them to Yifan’s place and Yifan resorts to carrying him to avoid Baekhyun’s more trouble. It’s different from the bridal style the teacher had used to carry him earlier in the morning, because Yifan seems to have purposefully chosen a position that would allow Baekhyun to grind against him.

Baekhyun doesn’t complain, and it’s a relieved moan that follows, the second the great dane hybrid hoists him onto his hip as if Baekhyun weighed nothing. Baekhyun doesn’t know why he finds it incredibly hot and somewhat reassuring, right now, whereas he would just find it annoying normally, how Yifan handled him.

It must be the heat, and the fact that Yifan is close to him

_Is he in heat?_

Baekhyun hears Junmyeon ask somewhere behind them, clear apprehension and confusion in his voice. Yifan offers a curt positive answer there; or it must be something like that but Baekhyun can only concentrate on his own abrupt moan when Yifan adjusts Baekhyun’s leg so that Baekhyun doesn’t slide down while he’s busy opening the door to his room.

 

xxx beginning of the krisbaek explicit scene. If you prefer to skip it, roll down to the next sign like this one xxx

 

Baekhyun feels his cheeks flame up and breathes in in frustration once more, closing his legs tighter around Yifan’s waist, this time without any help. He keeps rubbing himself against him. He’s shaking. He can’t help it and it’s as embarrassing as it is the best relief he can allow himself for now. He doesn’t dare look at Junmyeon, nor he is sure he will be able to look Yifan in the eyes after today.

He think he hears Junmyeon say something more, before Yifan opens the door and lets both of them in. “I’m sorry…,” Baekhyun murmurs, uncertain and unfocused. It’s a bit of contrast with how he’s clinging to Yifan, and the latter doesn’t answer right away.

Baekhyun allows himself to close his eyes, when a new wave of scorching heat envelops him. He whines, desperate and helpless, his head falling onto Yifan’s shoulder once more as he clings onto his shirt. It’s like nothing Baekhyun has ever felt before, the _want_ seems to be gnawing his insides and the sudden surge of warmth that spreads inside him makes him want to gag as well as beg someone to touch him already.

_Why_ isn’t Yifan touching him already?

Baekhyun opens his eyes again and they’re sitting on Yifan’s bed, Baekhyun straddling him as Yifan awkwardly rubs his back. “Hyun I have…,” he’s never looked more embarrassed, and Baekhyun can only half focus on his words, when his eyes keep lingering on Yifan’s lips. He’s humping his leg, slowly moving back and forth onto it. Even Yifan is half hard in his pants, Baekhyun realizes suddenly.

“...I have things you can use.” Yifan continues -- Baekhyun tries to focus on his voice. _Things_ means toys; and hours spent alone trying to calm down this fire inside him.  
That’s not what he’s craving for, right now.

He shakes his head, once, twice, vehemently. “No…,” he starts, and he can see Yifan’s expression change from embarrassed to exasperated. Yifan opens his mouth to talk, and Baekhyun cuts in before he can speak. “... I just…,” he hesitates, and his brain is such a cocktail of emotions and thoughts right now that even if Baekhyun tries to look for the right words, he just can’t. He gives up.

“...I’m scared.” It’s the best he can come up with.

Yifan exhales, first, checking Baekhyun’s expression. He chuckles airily, shaking his head. Baekhyun doesn’t know what’s so funny about any of this, from him dry humping Yifan’s leg to, well, Baekhyun admitting that he’s terrified.

“Don’t you dare leave.” He adds, tiredly, with the last bit of sarcasm he has left. Yifan keeps chuckling -- he nods.

 

Baekhyun is already fumbling with his sweats, pulling them down his thighs unceremoniously when Yifan helps him lie on the mattress as if he was made of glass. Baekhyun doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need Yifan to forget that he’s a guy, a guy with a boner and in heat.

It’s so hot.

Baekhyun just wants to crawl out of his skin, get rid of his briefs. His hand reaches for his crotch, palming the obvious bulge there and ignoring the fact that he’s pushing back tears of embarrassment, anger. His fingers curl around the shape of his own dick and it’s like his whole body short circuits, the warmth that has washed over him in waves until now seems to explode, consume him from inside.

His jaw goes slack with a moan, his free hand reaching for Yifan’s bicep -impatient, urgent. _Yifan_ he calls, while pulling him the hybrid on top of himself, or at least attempting to.

Yifan doesn’t fight back, somehow cages Baekhyun under him. He’s calm, while Baekhyun is going crazy. He’s pulsating, his own dick throbbing down there for the lack of attention. Baekhyun’s hand, pressing and palming there doesn’t bring that much relief. Baekhyun looks at Yifan through hooded eyes, and can only focus on the hard line of his jaw before he whimpers, his hips searching for friction, furiously.

“What the hell are you waiting for, Yifan?!”

He groans in frustration when Yifan just cages his shoulders and he stares at Baekhyun’s flushed face. Baekhyun’s ears twitch under Yifan’s breath, and he circles Yifan’s hips with his legs, forcing him down, pressing him against his crotch. _Ah_ he can’t hold it back, as relief forces his back to arch, his hands clutching Yifan’s shirt. It doesn’t last long.

“You said you’d help,” Baekhyun manages to almost yell, rage and something akin to resentment palpable in his voice. “Yifan do something-”

“This is so fucking awkward…” Yifan mutters in response, but he gives in, allowing Baekhyun to force their hips -their crotches together. He lets Baekhyun set some sort of pace, lets him rub his erection against Yifan’s half hard bulge in his trousers and despite how he clearly tries hard, Yifan lets out a few grunts himself.

It’s not enough, definitely not enough to appease Baekhyun’s heat. Yifan should know, Yifan has been there hasn’t he?

Baekhyun moans, then whines again and again when he realizes that he wants to feel more skin, that dry humping is not the best idea because it’s starting to hurt. _Yifan_ , he calls once more, and this time Yifan seems to understand.

“Stay down.” His voice low, Baekhyun barely hears him over the incessant thumping of his heart, but he gasps when he notices him leaving the bed. He’s not leaving, isn’t he?

“I said don’t you dare leave, Yifan,” he thinks he says something like that, his voice croaks and he doesn’t know what his lips are doing anymore.

It’s hot.

He turns onto his belly, hides his face into the crook of his arm and breathes in, out. Inhale, exhale. His fingers push down the elastic band of his boxers at the front, finally freeing his erection. A muffled _ah_ escapes his lips, as he presses himself against the duvet rhythmically, slowly.

Breathe in, out. Inhale, exhale.

_Baekhyun_ he only half hears Yifan call, somewhere, before someone’s hand is on his ass. Not palming, not squeezing. Just there, for a few seconds, before he feels the same hand peel off his boxers. He shivers when the fabric slides down his thighs, his calves.

“Hyun, c’mon.” Yifan’s voice is much closer to his ear now, and the great dane hybrid is pushing Baekhyun’s hip, forcing him to turn onto his back.

_Come on_ he repeats, encouraging. Baekhyun closes his eyes, lets go.

“I’ll help, Hyun.” Yifan reassures. Baekhyun starts shaking slightly, when suddenly the scorching heat pulsates through his veins. It forces Baekhyun’s toes to curl, his dick to throb in pain.

Yifan huffs, then helps Baekhyun to spread his legs just slightly.

“We’re not doing it.” Baekhyun slurs, but it’s still his fingers that reach of Yifan’s wrist, forcing his hand towards his erection. Baekhyun’s body is doing what he wants, Baekhyun instincts are telling him he wants to fuck. It doesn’t matter how, with whom.

“No, we’re not.”

The sound of the cap popping off the bottle of lube, along with Baekhyun’s shallow breaths are the only noises in the room.

Yifan’s grip is shallow around Baekhyun’s shaft, his expression unreadable as he keeps his eyes fixed somewhere around Baekhyun’s neck. He massages Baekhyun’s thighs before his hand, slick, starts gliding up and down his erection.

Baekhyun’s arm falls limply to cover his eyes, his breathing heavy as he tries to be quiet, to muffle the moans into the fabric of the sweater he’s still wearing. _Hurry_ he stutters, and he tries very hard not to think about the finger lightly teasing the crack of his ass. He tries not to think that he wants that finger to stroke further down.

He keeps bucking his hips, squeezing his eyes. One of his hands grips Yifan’s forearm out of instinct, he digs his nails into the skin, hard, until he’s sure it must hurt.

It’s not working, not at all. If possible it’s getting hot, it’s hurting more. It forces a frustrated groan out of Baekhyun’s lips, his talons push the small of Yifan’s back. “It’s so hot…” he complains, fumbling with the words. Yifan doesn’t say anything. “Yifan...faster,” Baekhyun demands, or pleads, his voice breaking.

He gasps, when Yifan increases the pace, when his thumb presses just the right spot under the had and the fire burning inside him concentrates in one spot, like a spark on a fuse. There’s only Yifan’s skin on his at this point, the heat is just an extension of that sensation.

Baekhyun has stopped breathing properly, the air gets stuck in his throat in a series of awkward hiccups, as the heat grows unbearable and Yifan’s hand keeps gliding, a bit faster, a bit tighter.

Baekhyun comes with a shudder and a low cry when the finger lightly grazing his asscheeks strokes deeper. His body trembling, his instinct is, again, to pull Yifan closer as the warmth seems to subside all of a sudden. Too suddenly. He’s left sweaty and shivering, his breath still heavy and his abdomen covered in cum.

Yifan lets go of his dick at last and Baekhyun can breathe again. Yifan props his elbow on the mattress to avoid pressing his hand on the duvet, but he somehow manages to cage Baekhyun under him, as the other wraps one arm around his shoulders.

“Better?” Yifan asks, his voice low, breathy. Baekhyun knows Yifan is still half hard down there, but he can’t bring himself to think about that now. Yifan doesn’t seem in the mood either.

“Better.” Baekhyun confirms, though somewhat uncertain. He feels heavy, not an ounce of energy. He lets go of Yifan’s shoulders, allowing him to sit up, reach for the bedstand. The heat, differently to how it felt in the infirmary, seems to have subsided for now.

 

xxx end of the Krisbaek explicit scene.xxx

 

“Well that was…” Yifan starts, to which Baekhyun grimaces. He still feels incredibly sticky, in need of a shower and he definitely, _most definitely_ -

“Do we really need to talk about it?” When he eyes Yifan again, the hybrid is chuckling as if he hadn’t just given him the handjob of his life.

“Na, I guess I’m good. We’ll end up talking about it in a few hours again anyway.” He stops, opens the drawer of the bedstand only to dig in there and finally toss a box of wet tissues on the mattress. “Clean up, you’re gross.”

“I need to shower.” Baekhyun complains with a sigh, but he reaches for the wet tissues anyway. Yifan is cleaning lube and cum off his hand, nonchalant.

“I told you this would be better if you were with your owner. At home. Even alone, at home would be better.” Yifan murmurs, eyeing Baekhyun at the corner of his eyes. Baekhyun glances back, with a shrug.

“It’s fine. It’s a couple of days.” He concludes, trying to sound calm and collected about the whole issue when, in reality, he’s not that much less scared than he was half an hour earlier. “I’ll have to borrow some clothes.” Baekhyun continues, worriedly.

“I don’t think you’ll need clothes, Byun. Nor you’ll want them.” Yifan notes, leaving the bed with a smirk.

 

A few hours later Junmyeon concludes that Baekhyun is _completely insane_ , but finally agrees for him to spend a his heat at his place.  
Chanyeol calls -multiple times- and Baekhyun starts to understand what Yifan meant with _home is better_ when, later at night, the flames of the heat start prickling at his skin once more.

 

The floor of the living room is cold under his belly while Baekhyun is splayed on the floor in a characteristic sploot. He’s exhausted. He absentmindedly stares at the tv airing some kind of music program.

Chanyeol announces his presence in the living room with a yawn, dropping to the floor next to Baekhyun. He strokes the corgi hybrid’s back, then uses him to mop the floor, pulling him closer. Baekhyun doesn’t have the energy to react, but he does bark weakly, in annoyance.

“I didn’t know you were back,” Chanyeol offers, and stops dragging Baekhyun only to grab his fluffy bum and squeeze a little. There’s not much to squeeze in the first place, really, just fur, but it’s enough to have Baekhyun squirm whine, miffed.

Chanyeol chuckles when Baekhyun finally rolls on the side and reaches for Chanyeol’s hand; for his fingers, to be precise. He bites down harder than usual, just because Chanyeol is being annoying. He laps at his fingertips soon after, though -- he must have eaten something sweet coming back from school. Baekhyun can smell it, and feel the sugar on his tongue.

“How busy do they keep you at school though? Four days of school project…,” Chanyeol mumbles, and he lets himself gradually fall to the side so that he’s lying on the floor next to the hybrid. “...Seems a bit long to me.” There’s something in Chanyeol’s tone that is close to empathy? And a bit of that complaining about school vibe that every students can relate to.

Baekhyun huffs. Being stuck in human form for four days of heat has drained him and he kind of wish it was a school project instead. Also, he feels like shit when Chanyeol crawls closer and buries his nose into Baekhyun’s fur.

“We weren’t drowning in corgi hairs for once. Heaven.” The words all jumbled up into Baekhyun’s fur. “Even though we missed you. Kind of. I did at least.”

It’s enough for Baekhyun’s heart to pick up the pace, for his tail to start wagging automatically. Baekhyun turns his head enough to lick Chanyeol’s nose. Chanyeol chuckles, and scoots him closer.

Baekhyun wonders if he didn’t make the wrong decision after all. If he should’ve just trusted Chanyeol. Home is better, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me **eons** to update girls, I'm so so sorry T_T I did publish a new story in the meanwhile, which I hope you read and like. However I was mostly MIA because of -and I'm being sincere here- lack of inspiration and real life keeping me busy. If you follow me on twitter (for those who don't, you can follow me on @/roseygrid) you'll know how much I've been freaking out because of school T_T so I hope you can forgive me.
> 
> Also, I know this chapter doesn't mention Kaisoo nor any of the other characters, but you've been waiting for Hyun's heat for ages, so here you are.
> 
> I'm sorry if this is not what you expected. For all the krisbaek shippers out there, rejoice people.  
> For all the Chanbaek shippers, please don't kill me and trust me till the end.
> 
> For now...
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> /rolls away/


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been so long since I updated, but if you follow me on twitter you'll know how busy I've been. :(  
> This chapter is a little longer than the others, to make you girls forgive me for my absence!
> 
> As usual, here's some soundtrack [cliq!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opeETnB8m8w) to make your reading more enjoyable.  
> Any acoustic, a bit nostalgic tune would do really. It's a summery chapter in autumn :3  
> Enjoy!

The summer of his sixteen years old brings unexpected changes to Chanyeol’s life. He ends up remembering it as the summer when Baekhyun’s hybrid ears start both standing right up, even the floppy one that Chanyeol liked so much. He makes a lot of fuss of it, complaining about Baekhyun not being a puppy anymore, about his floppy ear being the cutest thing ever and being gone now. He keeps treating it like a tragedy and everyone calls him stupid for it, but it must be because it’s part of the process of Baekhyun becoming an adult hybrid, the fact that Baekhyun is growing up leaving him behind. It makes him feel uncertain, even if it was just a floppy ear and now it’s still there, but it’s just not the same.

He stops, at some point, and he does it mostly because eventually Baekhyun starts looking really upset and lost whenever Chanyeol teases him about the ear thing.  
It’s one lazy afternoon at the end of June, the sun is scorching hot and there’s beads of sweat forming on the back of Baekhyun’s neck. The cry of the cicadas is so loud it’s unbearable.

They’re sitting on the back porch eating a popsicle. Baekhyun makes a weird wet noise with his icicle and Chanyeol’s eyes linger on his slightly tanned face -the freckles- then stop on the infamous ear. 

He reaches up, in a vague attempt of grazing it with his fingertips. It still makes him slightly sad. No, not sad, more nostalgic than sad, not to see it fold forward. It reminds him of the two of them, barely teenagers, fooling around in the back of the train station and Baekhyun being really good with graffiti. At the same time, though, he also kinda likes this new look. It makes Baekhyun look a lot more like a real grown corgi.

He barely manages to touch the soft fur on the shell of the ear when Baekhyun jolts, his eyes as big as saucers as he stares at Chanyeol, something akin to panic in his eyes. He stands up as quickly as he can, puts a distance between them. He drags his eyes away and he’s looking nowhere precisely when Chanyeol hears him speak.

“I swear I’m gonna chop this damn ear off, some day,” he mutters. He sounds both angry and hurt. He’s holding the popsicle upside down alongside his hip, his knuckles white but his expression neutral.

Chanyeol doesn’t know what to say, because he’s sixteen and he’s hasn’t quite grasped the concept of jokes that can hurt just yet. Because he tends to take people for granted, to be selfish. Chanyeol is growing up, Baekhyun feels too grown up for him all of a sudden.

“Hyun I’m sorry!,” he shouts out, but Baekhyun has already slammed the window closed after sneaking inside. 

Chanyeol makes breakfast for him for days to make up for how much of a dick he was. Baekhyun seems to accept the apology, or so it seems from the fact that he starts sitting next to Chanyeol to watch tv, his head resting on Chanyeol’s thigh. He doesn’t chop off his ear -which is a relief to Chanyeol- but the two of them just don’t function as they did before.

The summer of his sixteen years Chanyeol fucks up a lot. He fights with Baekhyun for the stupidest reasons. And it’s not even real fights, just them disagreeing on everything, from what to eat for breakfast to them studying together and ending up fighting over homework. They argue because Chanyeol uses all of Baekhyun’s shampoo and doesn’t tell him. Because Baekhyun wears Chanyeol’s clothes for an outing with classmates and gets it rained on right the day before Chanyeol needs it. They fight because Yifan comes home and Chanyeol doesn’t like it. So _he_ brings someone from the music academy and they end up being loud when Baekhyun is studying for a test.

It’s a mess.

Chanyeol fucks up a lot and Baekhyun does too. He gets into two fights and almost gets Yifan involved. Chanyeol ends up knowing because they get a phone call home. His mom is speechless, Baekhyun looks like the shadow of himself for days, with a split lip and a huge bruise on his cheek. Chanyeol is pushed away when he worries about it, so he doesn’t talk about it. 

It’s almost the middle of summer, the sun is still scorching hot, almost as burning as the July afternoon with the popsicle on the backyard. Two duffel bags and a backpack take most of the space on Chanyeol’s bed. They’re still open and there’s still stuff that has to be shoved inside -hopefully Chanyeol can pretend he’s only forgotten about the embarrassing white underwear his mom bought him, or he can toss it under the bed and leave. He’ll manage with a few pairs of brief less, even though he’s not sure about the process of making the laundry or hand washing.

Baekhyun is staring at him from the door frame, as Chanyeol slides his mp3 in the front pocket of his backpack. 

“How long will you be gone again?,” he asks, his head resting against the wooden structure of the door, right at the edge. It looks like it would not be the most comfortable position ever. Chanyeol pushes the random thought to the back of his head, instead he speaks up.

“Five weeks, I’ll be back mid August.” He takes a mental count of what’s missing in his bags so he doesn’t notice Baekhyun coming up closer and sitting on the bed in the last free corner of it, squished between the headboard and the mess on Chanyeol’s bed. “...Why? Will you miss me?,” he asks with a grin, teasing. It’s all he can do lately, apparently. Sometimes it gets in the way, though.

Baekhyun shrugs, his eyes fixed on something not important on Chanyeol’s bed stand. “Me? Why?” It sounds a little cold, a little too impersonal on purpose. Chanyeol stares, for a long time, his fingers glued to a pair of white socks too ugly to be included in his bags but too comfy to be left back. 

“You can be a real dick too sometimes, you know?” Chanyeol points out, his voice a little lower than usual. When Baekhyun finally meets his eyes it feels like he’s trying to challenge Chanyeol. It feels like he’s saying _So what? What do you do now?_. Chanyeol doesn’t know how to pick a challenge like this, so he drops it, and with it he shoves the pair of socks at the very bottom of his red duffel bag.

“I learned from the best,” Baekhyun states at the end. There’s no bite in his voice and he even curls up his lips in a little smile, as he opens one of the drawers of Chanyeol’s bed stand and uses it to balance his feet on it. It makes a creaking noise, Chanyeol’s eyes just glimpse towards it while he folds yet another pair of ugly underwear.

“Don’t do that, mom will kill me if I break the furniture,” he offers distractedly. “I wonder what camping will be like. Some friends from the music academy are coming too.”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow first, eyeing Chanyeol in askance. He doesn’t take his feet off the drawer. Instead he just lies down, his head using as a makeshift pillow a pile of clothes Chanyeol has shoved to the side. “Probably lots of booze. Someone will think they’ve found the love of their lives, and then they’ll end up running away crying because they fought. Shitty food, no sleep and freezing showers.”

“That sounds...like torture.” Chanyeol grimaces, then he hits Baekhyun’s knee with his own in a weak kick. “And how do you know about all of this exactly?”

“I watch old american movies and I heard it from Junmyeon,” Baekhyun kicks back just as weakly, then he goes silent. “Who knows, you might end up having sex there,” he adds, wiggling his eyebrows at the ceiling. 

There’s definitely a vein of sarcasm there - and something else, either Chanyeol’s too dense to notice or Baekhyun is good at hiding what he means, because Chanyeol knows something is not being said but he doesn’t know what exactly.

“And what do you know about sex now?” he clips back. Baekhyun snorts and Chanyeol doesn’t get his answer.

“Just have fun, Yeol. Have fun.” 

 

In retrospective, camping is not that tragic as Baekhyun makes it sound. 

Chanyeol does vomit on the bus there, though. More specifically he half pukes on himself, half in the bag the main organizer hurries to throw under his mouth and he has to spend the rest of the trip stinking of vomit and what he had for breakfast. He gets moved to the front seat and loses lunch snack privilege because everyone is already complaining for the stench- they don’t want another accident before getting to the camp.

To be completely honest, though, nobody is an ass to him about it and a couple guys even ask him to room together- they must not care about Chanyeol awkwardly hiding the plastic bag containing his dirty hoodie behind his leg and the fact that his smile is just _so fake_ because all he wants to do now is take a shower and then hide somewhere. People are actually nice, and despite the bumpy start Chanyeol feels hopeful.

Calling this trip _camping_ wouldn’t be really appropriate. The reason for it being because they’ll be staying in a structure with big shared rooms, bunk beds and suspicious looking communal bathroom and showers. There’s checked covers and white clean looking sheets and pillows folded on the beds and Chanyeol distractedly throws his bags at the feet of the bunk on the left with a sigh.

He still stinks probably, but he’s so mentally tired that he can’t even smell it anymore. His first roommate- some guy named Yonghoon- follows him and silently climbs onto the top bunk on the opposite side of the room. “When did they say they’ll serve dinner again?,” he asks, taking his phone out of his pocket.

Chanyeol shrugs, dropping to sit on the floor and pushing the smelly hoodie as far as possible from him and his bed. “Seven. In two hours or so?”

“Enough time for a nap, then, I guess,” he announces around a yawn. The next time Chanyeol tries to call his roommate, while taking stuff out from his bag, he gets heavy breathing as a reply. Yonghoon, Chanyeol will learn quite soon, is one of those people who fall asleep anywhere in every position. The times when Chanyeol sees him sleeping are possibly more than the times he has the chance to talk to him - awake.

The other two roommates are okay. Chanyeol can’t complain. However their room is not the most popular of the structure. There’s no girls visiting ever -which says a lot, because the popular guys have flocks of girls coming in and out of their rooms- and the other two guys -Yooncheol and Sangwon- they hang out together a lot, but are not the wildest companions Chanyeol could ask for his camping adventures. And it’s not like Chanyeol wants to have the girls around so bad, really. However he was expecting lots of fun, and he doesn’t get any. 

At first, at least.

So he broods over it a lot, probably sends way more texts to Baekhyun in two days than he’s ever done in the last two years and even tries a phone call hiding on the back of their barrack -phone usage is strictly forbidden but oh well, Chanyeol has always been a bit of a rebel.

When Baekhyun’s voice comes through, Chanyeol thinks something must be wrong with him because he wants to scream in relief. _Finally_ is what he wants to say, “Wow it feels like I talked to you last like three years ago,” is what he greets him with.

Baekhyun chuckles on the other side. “Yeah, it does. Is camping any fun?,” he questions. Chanyeol hears some rustling, so he waits until Baekhyun sighs contented to reply.

“Boring.” He makes a grimace and is smiling at chuckle that follows. “I thought it’d be fun, but I roomed with the nerds, so no fun for me.” 

“When do you ever _not group_ with the nerds, Park Chanyeol?,” Baekhyun notes, sarcasm in his voice. “You taught me how to play Dungeons and Dragons. That’s like the epitome of nerd games.”

Chanyeol turns his head around to check that nobody’s coming, then leans against the wooden structure of the barrack and slides until he’s sitting on the grass, in the darkness of his hidden corner. There’s the square reflection of the light from the windows from the second floor drawn on the ground, a few steps ahead.

“It’s fun, who cares,” he adds, faking annoyance. Baekhyun sighs but he doesn’t say anything for a while. They stay in a comfortable silence for what must be around thirty seconds, Chanyeol can’t be sure. “Are you lying down?,” he asks, cautious.

“This sounds like one of those dialogues in bad american tv series.” There’s a note of amusement in the way he says it, it makes Chanyeol smile unconsciously. “Yeah, I am lying down. I was gonna play some Pokémon but you decided to call.”

“Just...people here are not as fun,” he mutters without even realizing. It’s a slip of his tongue. He doesn’t even realize when Baekhyun asks again, trying to boast almost. 

“Not as fun as me?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol keeps going. “And we both know I’m not the popular kid. It’s been two days and everyone is really nice but not the...I guess the kind of nice and fun I was expecting,” he concludes, then waits for a reply.

Baekhyun breathes out, then lets out yet another chuckle, even though this one sounds a little less spontaneous than the others. “You are fun though. And you can be the popular kid, despite the ears. And the twitchy smile. That’s kinda scary, to be honest.”

“Are you trying to cheer me up here or make me feel bad about myself?,” Chanyeol clips back, resting his head against the wooden wall behind him. 

“I’m trying to be a good friend here, you ungrateful asshole.” 

There’s something that just doesn’t sound right about Baekhyun, and Chanyeol let it slide with a chuckle until Baekhyun goes really quiet again -which is really not him, especially considering how impulsively talkative, to the point where he could even be rude he’s been lately.

“Is there something wrong Hyun?,” he questions. He’s asked the same question several times in the past years. He always hopes for an honest reply he never gets. Chanyeol shivers a little in the humidity of the summery night, as Baekhyun hums back from the other line.

“I don’t know,” he murmurs. It literally sends all of Chanyeol’s senses in alarm. He pushes himself back from the wall. “What?,” he asks, taken aback by the non completely negative response.

There’s the sound of steps from the side of the barrack, Chanyeol mutters a _shit_ and hurries to stand up, while Baekhyun asks about _what’s going on_ , through the speaker. Chanyeol hides his phone behind his back and goes all rigid, genuinely thinking he’s screwed. His heart has climbed all the way to his throat and it pulses nervously, it makes Chanyeol even more anxious, until the person finally comes close enough to be seen and Chanyeol relaxes -he even cusses once.

“Just here for a smoke,” Jonghyun smiles lifting his hand holding a cigarette between index and middle finger and if Chanyeol could melt in a puddle of anxiety on the floor he probably would. 

“I thought it was someone from the staff,” he explains, as he brings his phone closer to his ear again. “Hyun…” It’s funny because Jonghyun looks up as if it was him that was just refered as that. Chanyeol doesn’t pay too much attention to it. “...I’ll call tomorrow alright? Remember Kim Jonghyun from the music academy? He visited a couple times…”

Baekhyun hums again and, again, he sounds a bit off. “Anyway I don’t know how I didn’t…” he distances the phone from his ear for a moment, turns to look at Jonghyun. “How exactly are you here? I swear I didn’t see you.” 

Jonghyun takes a drag from his cigarette and he raises both eyebrows shaking his head, as if saying _Man, I have no idea_.

“...Anyway Hyun, I’m sorry I’ll call tomorrow,” he repeats. He hears a disinterested _yeah_ coming through and he does kind of feel like an ass. He doesn’t hang up on Baekhyun, it’s not something he’d usually do. “G’night Hyun,” he says, as if trying to repent.

Jonghyun is almost done with his cigarette by the time Chanyeol walks up next to him, a bit further down the back of the barrack. “I thought calling was gonna get me in trouble but...smoking? Seriously?”

Jonghyun is shorter than Chanyeol by a good ten centimeters, but he’s still intimidating enough that Chanyeol doesn’t go too close despite how much time they’ve spent together making songs and talking about music back at the academy. 

“They won’t say anything, even if they find out,” Jonghyun shares. “Anyway I got here yesterday, that’s why we didn’t meet. I heard you got some fun roommates there,” he teases and Chanyeol groans.

“Just boring, really,” he starts. He pulls down his hoodie with a shiver- the night in the countryside is a lot more chilly than Chanyeol had expected. “I thought I would have lots of fun but the activities in the morning are not that exciting if my team is not up for some good competition and...ahh…,” he groans again with a guttural sound that rounds into a low toned laughter. 

Jonghyun flicks a bit of ash off his cigarette, then closes his lips around it and takes a drag. Chanyeol is kind of mesmerized, and he doesn’t know if it’s the dim red circle of light at the end of the cigarette or the greyish smoke puffing out of Jonghyun’s lips, but he feels his ears go a little red. His gaze travels back down to the ground.

“We could hang out together, you know? Have some fun.” Jonghyun’s lips turn into a smile Chanyeol can only see with the corner of his eyes. He tilts his head, stares at the older guy for what feels like an eternity, baffled.

“Really?” Chanyeol is not the most confident guy on the planet. Maybe he’ll be, one day, but he’s definitely not right now. So he can’t actually believe Jonghyun, who’s older and could hang out with literally anyone, would agree to hang out with him of all people.

“We usually hang out a lot together so I don’t see why not,” Jonghyun shrugs and then tosses the cigarette to the ground without much thought. He steps onto it, before patting Chanyeol’s shoulder twice. “Let’s go,” he says, and Chanyeol follows.

 

Jonghyun’s friends definitely _are_ the cool kids. Chanyeol is not sure how he fits into this group, but his jokes are fun enough and Kibum and Jinki are very bro-like to him from the very first time Jonghyun drags Chanyeol into their room to drink booze and have some fun. Their room doesn’t attract flocks of giggling girls and, for some reason, Chanyeol almost feels relieved for that. 

Kibum is the one that insists that Chanyeol switches team to theirs and even goes through the trouble of talking to a few staff members to get approval for it, so that they can take part in the activities -be it football, base games or simple tug of war- all together and win. Because they do win, a lot. Chanyeol doesn’t hide how competitive he is, and he finds out quite soon that Jonghyun the others are not what one would define as calm when it comes to winning.

They also talk about Taemin and Minho a lot. Minho is tall with big round eyes and he joins their team after Chanyeol does -he is apparently an old friend of all of them along with his Cheetah hybrid Taemin. Except for Minho none of them has hybrids, so Chanyeol finds himself talking to him quite a lot, especially about Baekhyun, Sehun and Jongin since they’re the hybrids he’s basically grown up with.

“...And Baekhyun always gets really angry when I boop his butt but he’s a corgi I mean, how could I _not_ do that?” Chanyeol stuffs his mouth with some more rice as they’re all sitting on wooden benches outside of the big makeshift cafeteria where lunch is being served.

“Taemin would chop off your finger, wouldn’t he?,” Jonghyun offers and Minho nods, sipping on some water. The other two -Kibum sitting next to Jonghyun and Jinki right next to him, seem all focused on some game Kibum is playing on his phone.

“Yeah I don’t think I’d survive. That’s the equivalent of me playing with his tail or touching his dance things. Big no. But I mean I never even try, I grew up with him so I kinda know what he doesn’t like and I avoid it,” he explains.

It’s Chanyeol’s turn to nod slowly in understanding. “I...It’s a bit complicated with Baekhyun. We manage. Sometimes,” he murmurs, and then suddenly freezes. “Shit.” 

Something has been bothering him for a couple of days already, he just couldn’t point out what it was and it suddenly comes to him. “Shit I forgot to call him, shit…”

“What, Baekhyun?,” Jonghyun asks, sliding Chanyeol’s phone on the surface of the table so that he can reach for it easily. The others just stare at him, especially Minho does, since they’ve been talking about hybrids most of the time. Chanyeol feels like a really bad friend all of a sudden, and he probably is.

He fumbles and types a really quick texts about how he’s gonna call him tonight, then searches for Baekhyun’s name in the contact list and presses send. He stares at the screen for a few seconds, but when he sees no reply he flips the phone with its screen on covered.

Jinki snorts at Chanyeol’s panic stricken face, balances his spoon on the table next to his plate. “Sounds like your girlfriend.”

Chanyeol frowns, shaking his head, and he’s not sure why but it upsets him, the tone Jinki uses. The fact that he’s comparing his caring for Baekhyun to a nagging girlfriend. “It’s just...he needed to talk to me about something,” he mutters.

Nobody asks anymore and Chanyeol gets distracted when they start talking about a bonfire in the evening with a few more guys from other barracks.

Of course he forgets to call Baekhyun in the evening.

They all sit around the fire, some people all bundled up in hoodies and heavier clothes considering this is the latest they’ve all been outside since they started camping. Someone suggests they sing a few songs, and Jonghyun improvises a mini performance. A few of the songs Chanyeol recognizes because it’s pop music, some others because Jonghyun composed them with him -Jonghyun even searches for Chanyeol’s eyes every few moments when he sings those.

The atmosphere is really light, and it’s mostly people chattering and all of them playing childish games and throwing insults at each others when someone doesn’t play fair. The booze helps, Chanyeol has to say. It’s his first time trying alcohol or at least this much alcohol. Someone’s been passing two or three bottles of different liquors that Chanyeol is not an expert of, despite his playing nonchalant when Minho takes a sip and proceeds passing the bottle to Chanyeol. 

The alcohol stings in his throat and he makes the hardest effort not to cough, but he manages to keep a straight face with the first, the second and the third sip he takes before handing the bottle to the next person.

Chanyeol also finds out he doesn’t hold his liquor that well. Thankfully he doesn’t start dancing naked around the bonfire, but he does get quite the bad headache at his fourth round of alcohol and starts regretting his life choices.

He passes the beer and just pretends to sip at it, because wise Jongdae one day told him not to drink less alcoholic things after really alcoholic ones and Chanyeol doesn’t want to make another memory of him puking connect with the camp.

Jonghyun is playing snippets of songs and people have to recognize them. When nobody manages to recognize the last one -some obscure ballad by Britney Spears- after shouting at least thirty names, the worst -or the best- thing ever happens.

“What about we play truth or dare?” some yells from the other side of the circle, so Jonghyun stops fumbling with his guitar and puts it aside.

The general reaction is a bit slow to heat up, but soon everyone joins and even a few girls sneak in -mostly because most guys weren’t willing to kiss other guys, in case a dare like that would happen. 

Most people choose truth at first, then a few dare happens and a girl starts crying when what looks like her best friend ends up kissing what everyone later assumes is her crush. Drama. Chanyeol couldn’t care less, and their group, Jonghyun and Kibum included chuckle at the girl’s misfortune. 

Someone points at Jinki and he freezes. He chooses dare, and he’s told to drink an entire bottle of beer one shot. Everyone laughs and Chanyeol joins in, even though he’s not sure if it’s because Jinki is a really good drinker or a really shitty one.

When he chugs at the bottle as if he was drinking water, Chanyeol gets which one it is and he can genuinely laugh out loud, hitting poor Kibum’s thigh as he folds on himself.

“Jonghyun! Truth or dare.” Jinki points his finger at Jonghyun and he goes rigid for a moment, Chanyeol notices. 

A flick of his shoulders follow and he’s announcing “Dare.”

There’s an eerie silence in the circle for a few seconds and Jinki looks extremely scary, the light of the bonfire on his back darkening his face. “What about you kiss Chanyeol?,” he proposes and Chanyeol dies. He doesn’t literally die, but he could probably die considering how Jonghyun just looks at him and tilts his head without complaining about it.

“Why not?” Is all he says, and Chanyeol dies again.

_What?_ he wants to yell, because it feels kind of wrong, but before he knows he’s pretending to be all cool again. And to be completely honest he finds it flattering that Jonghyun agreed to kiss him. He’s older, more popular and he’s dreamy. All the boyfriend material one could ask for. 

And it’ll be just a peck, so… He nods a couple of times, tyring to hide how seriously nervous he is about the whole ordeal, while Jonghyun stands up and walks closer and closer. His slouch is careless but his smile is oddly reassuring.

“It’s fine, I know it’s your first isn’t it?,” Jonghyun whispers as he cradles Chanyeol’s face with his hands. Chanyeol allows him, because it’s a game, this is a dare and he agreed to the kiss so to hell with it. It doesn’t matter that he feels his cheeks heating up when he fails to reply and Jonghyun chuckles.

It’s just a peck. Rephrase. It’s just a peck for exactly two seconds, then Jonghyun moves his lips a little and the kiss deepens. His lips are soft and all, but Chanyeol can’t shake off the feeling of this being really wrong. He keeps staying as stiff as a board even after Jonghyun finally draws back and his lips curl in a smile. Chanyeol mirrors it, but it’s a tad awkward, he has to admit.

Jonghyun pats his shoulder a couple of times, and when Chanyeol looks back to the people around the circle, some are cackling, but mostly just don’t care. It was just a dare.

Chanyeol’s heart is still drumming in his chest like crazy, more because of the adrenaline than anything else. And it keeps doing so, when Jonghyun kisses him again in the back of their barrack after people around the bonfire have started to scatter around.

The kissing becomes somewhat natural by a couple of days after, and Chanyeol keeps feeling like he’s walking on cloud nine all the time, or maybe he’s hallucinating he can’t be sure. Sometimes Jonghyun makes them sneak away during activities so that they can engage in more amusing ones.  
Chanyeol always had the feeling he could like boys, it isn’t an epiphany for him when during one of their heated making out sessions Jonghyun takes his shirt off and Chanyeol chokes on nothing. It just happens and Chanyeol doesn’t oppose the idea. However, would’ve never imagined Jonghyun to like boys, considering how popular he is and how many girls Chanyeol knows he’s been confessed to.

He needs to come to terms with the fact that Jonghyun _is_ in fact somewhat attracted to him, especially when hands are shoved inside his pants and wild hormonal touching starts happening and Chanyeol being an hormonal teenager that has never experienced much has a whole new world shown to him. And he likes it quite a lot.

Jonghyun seems to like touching more than kissing, though when he does kiss he does it all passionately, like all romantic singer songwriters that Chanyeol has only seen in movies. It’s been days and it’s been quite a good amount of orgasms, but Chanyeol is still not sure about how much he’s actually into Jonghyun beyond his dreamy looks and personality and the fact that he’s _really_ experienced with this whole _let’s help each other_ thing.

The others know something is going on and even Chanyeol’s roommates ask questions a few times but Jonghyun is also really good at finding shady places for them to make out, so they can keep having their hot moments until the end of the summer camp without it becoming something everyone knows about.

Chanyeol even texts Baekhyun about it -he doesn’t call, since he almost got his phone taken away from one of the staff member the second time he tried to call home. The hybrid doesn’t give him much enthusiastic responses, but then again Baekhyun has never been the most eager with the use of his smileys. 

Chanyeol can’t wait to go back home and tell him with all the details. Or even without the details, he just need to talk about it to someone. It’s a lot of firsts he’s had in a couple of weeks, it should be understandable.

Jonghyun leans on the door of Chanyeol’s room on the last day, while Chanyeol’s packing his belongings and texting Jongdae between one folded t-shirt and the other.

“It was fun,” he says. “Let’s keep in touch.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol just offers with a smile, looking up at him. They even bro-hug. “Let’s keep in touch,” he confirms, and that’s it. 

Chanyeol doesn’t really want to keep in touch for the kissing and touching, to be honest. As Jonghyun said, that was fun but nothing more, Chanyeol doesn’t feel like his heart is breaking or anything, now that they won’t be able to make out anymore.

A summer fling, people would call it.

Chanyeol sits next to Minho on the way back and overhears him talking with Taemin on the phone. In the seat next to theirs, Kibum rests his head on Jonghyun’s shoulder and Chanyeol feels nothing. 

He puts on his headphones and drifts off to sleep.

 

Home feels foreign after three weeks. His bed doesn’t feel like he’s slept on it for years and even having his sister around, asking questions non stop for the first twenty minutes doesn’t feel real. 

Baekhyun is nowhere to be seen. He’s been going out a lot lately, Mrs Lee cares to specify with the smile of someone who knows something and is keeping silent and at the same time with a loving tone, as if she was talking about her biological son. “It was about time he made new friends,” she adds proceeding to dry Yoora’s favorite cup with a paper towel. 

Chanyeol lowers his eyes to the table, concentrating onto the sandwich he’s prepared just a few minutes earlier -it doesn’t look that appealing now that he takes a better look at it, and his mom’s words about Baekhyun seem to have a weird effect on Chanyeol. Something akin to nausea, an odd pull to the stomach that makes him anxious for no reason.

Baekhyun comes back hours later, hours in which Chanyeol has been sprawled on the sofa in the living room watching tv. Or at least pretending to care about whatever documentary about wildlife they’re giving on a channel Chanyeol had no idea existed while he checks his phone multiple times. 

Chanyeol becomes restless when it comes to Baekhyun, and it’s not news. It’s always been like this, since the day they adopted the hybrid, especially when Chanyeol has the constant feeling that Baekhyun lowkey hates him or is mad at him. In today’s case, he’s not sure about the reason behind the constant restlessness, but his hands are definitely sweating when he hears the main door open and he knows it’s Baekhyun coming back.

“Oh, you’re back.”

Bullshit. Baekhyun has known the exact day and time Chanyeol would be back for weeks already, he should have at least. Yet here he is, pretending to be surprised to find Chanyeol there on the sofa like he’s never left.

“Yeah, I came back in the early afternoon,” Chanyeol explains. _Awkward_ he thinks, and blames himself and the fact that he felt the need of telling Baekhyun about what he did with Jonghyun at the summer camp. “What have you been up to?,” he tries, and Baekhyun flicks his shoulders as he walks into the livingroom.

His ears twitch involuntarily when a wolf howls in the documentary and he distractedly glances at the tv out of instinct. “Nothing much. I had dinner with Yifan and Junmyeon today. One of their friends was visiting, we had ramen,” he pauses and drops to sit next to Chanyeol on the sofa. He doesn’t seem to notice how nervous Chanyeol feels or if he does he doesn’t show it. “I didn’t know you were interested in documentaries about wildlife? There’s One Piece on the 36th.”

Chanyeol is not sure what’s wrong with him, but at least Baekhyun seems normal. When he breathes out, following Baekhyun’s profile with the corner of his eyes, he feels a little lighter.

“Let’s watch it then,” he agrees, then shifts on the sofa until he’s sitting with his legs crossed and his head resting against the wall. “Mom said we’re going on a trip. Again.”

“Yeah, so I’ve heard. We’re visiting your aunt or something, I think,” Baekhyun offers, looking straight at the tv. Chanyeol hums in reply. It doesn’t feel that different from their usual dialogues -Baekhyun just sounds a little tired. He stretches all of a sudden, lifting both arms in the air and then turning left, then right.

“Can I lie down a little?” He meets Chanyeol’s eyes for a brief moment, his hand reaching for the soft blanket hidden into the corner of the sofa. Chanyeol nods, then pats his own thigh a couple times. 

“Since when do you ask for permission?,” he notes jokingly, as Baekhyun flashes him a weak smile and levers himself on his arm before lying down, his neck bending with the curve of Chanyeol’s thigh. 

“I was trying to respect your space, since you have a boyfriend and all now.” Baekhyun replies. He meets Chanyeol’s eyes for a really brief second, as if to make sure Chanyeol doesn’t freak out -and if Chanyeol has learned how to read Baekhyun well, what he’s trying to conceal is annoyance. 

“Mh?” Chanyeol’s fingers end up carding through Baekhyun’s hair slowly, feeling him relax just a little when his touch lingers on the base of his ears. 

“Jonghyun...from the music academy? Is he not…,” Baekhyun breathes in deeply here, coincidentally right when Chanyeol’s hand goes around Baekhyun’s neck and squeezes there in some sort of sloppy massage. “...your boyfriend?”

Chanyeol is not completely taken aback by the question, but he’s not sure what to answer. Baekhyun meets his eyes again when he hesitates, as if trying to give a meaning to the silence. He scratches his nose and Chanyeol exhales harshly, his eyes going back on the tv.

“I’m... not sure? No…? I mean we...did some stuff so...I guess...”

“Mh…” Baekhyun hums in response. His eyes close heavily and Chanyeol goes back to running his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. He would never do something like this with any of his friends, never. They’d probably ask him if he’s crazy or something. It feels natural with Baekhyun, though. Chanyeol wonders if it’s because Baekhyun’s a hybrid or because he’s just special.

“You can still claim ownership over my thigh when it acts as a pillow, though,” Chanyeol adds after a while, in afterthought. He bumps his leg and Baekhyun’s head jumps a little.

“You’re such an idiot Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun’s words are followed by a groan of disapproval, and he blindly searches for Chanyeol’s hand to push it back to his hair. 

“Pet me hooman, don’t slack,” he half demands half laughs. Chanyeol follows suit, laughing breathily -and a little more quietly than he would normally, hence without slaps on things, people and his thighs.

There’s a replica of the episode of One Piece where they find Chopper on his island, with the doctor. There’s a lot of snow on the screen and the voices of the characters are high pitched, on the childish side. The silence is somewhat comforting, especially when Baekhyun’s breathing slows down as if he was lightly napping.

“What did you have to tell me, last time when I called you? I’m sorry I didn’t call back to ask but…” He pauses, tries to think of a good way to explain without sounding too much of a douchebag bragging. “Things kind of happened after we talked on the phone so…,” 

“Mh…” Chanyeol’s heart breaks a little at Baekhyun’s humming, but he feels way to guilty to interrupt now. “It was nothing. I’ll tell you if I feel like it’s the case again.” Baekhyun pauses once again. He’s trying not to make Chanyeol worry. “It’s fine now.”

Silence again, just for a little longer now. 

“Problems with Yifan?” Chanyeol tries, his voice low, tentative. He hopes Baekhyun will get how worried he is, how much of an idiot he feels for not calling back. The answer he gets, though, is short and surprised.

“What?”

“I know you guys are friends, so I was assuming…,” he lets go of the sentence, his eyes fixed on the tv. Baekhyun shrugs awkwardly from his horizontal position, then shifts until he’s lying on his side. 

“Nope, everything’s fine with him.”

 

Chanyeol is not the happiest about staying home two days and leaving again, even if this one time means that he’s going on holiday with his family rather than strangers. Also, they’re going by car, and the journey is a lot less eventful than the first one. 

The only interesting ten minutes are the videocall they get from Jongdae and Seulgi, both with their family on a road trip on the coast. They’re video calling from some spooky hotel apparently. Seulgi calls bullshit about the fact that someone was killed in one of the suites, Jongdae swears it’s true. Baekhyun and Chanyeol are both on Seulgi’s side, and Jongdae doesn’t fail to call them both traitors. It’s fun, even Mrs Lee chuckles from the driver’s seat.

Also, Baekhyun shows Chanyeol some pictures of Kyungsoo, Sehun and Jongin on the beach. In one of them Sehun’s draped on Jongin’s shoulder as Kyungsoo appears from the bottom of the picture -and honestly speaking it could be one of the most unflattering pictures of Kyungsoo. There’s one of Sehun sleeping on the beach as red as a cherry tomato, with a straw hat on his face. The one that follows is Jongin rocking the darkest of tans and Sehun looks on the verge of tears in the background as a smiling Kyungsoo is applying after-sun lotion on his back.

It’s a fun car trip. Even the pension where they’re staying is nice, despite the wicker furniture on the patio and how many mosquitoes they find inside -there’s even screens on the window and it’s a mystery how many beasts got inside the house. The fact that it’s right in front of a huge lake and there’s a festival down the road every night is a plus. 

“Dibs on the bed closer to the window!” 

Chanyeol yells, as he throws his bag towards the bed at the very end of the room he’ll be sharing with Baekhyun. The hybrid, on the other hand, just chuckles, shaking his head.

“Whatever, man. As if I didn’t sleep with you most of the time anyway. Hybrid, remember?” He points at the corgi ears on the top of his head and Chanyeol can Kind of see his tail moving a little unconsciously, under the thin t-shirt Baekhyun is wearing and peeking just above the elastic of his sweats. 

Chanyeol’s eyes open a little more and he opens his mouth to clip back. Nothing comes out. “Shit, you’re right. I forgot,” he admits. He sits on the edge of the bed and when he looks up again, Baekhyun has come closer and is standing in front of him. “Sometimes I forget you’re a Hybrid, you know? You’re just Hyun.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says. He takes the visor of Chanyeol’s baseball cap and pulls it to the back of Chanyeol’s head. “And now you look badass.”

He offers a weak smile that curls the corners of his lips upwards and Chanyeol’s not even shocked that his heart makes a somersault. It feels natural, he knows Baekhyun’s a charmer and has him wrapped around his finger, has had him there for years already. 

He’s not shocked when Baekhyun climbs into his bed in the dead of night without saying anything. Chanyeol waits to feel the ball of fur pressing into his chest like he’s used to, but he’s not surprised when he doesn’t. So he just molds around Baekhyun’s form, even if the fucker’s sleeping like a starfish and takes most of the space on the mattress.

“I thought you’d stopped sleeping together like that, when Baekhyun’s not in his hybrid form,” Mrs Lee points out to a very sleepy Chanyeol in the morning as he eats breakfast with his eyes still closed. “It’s cute,” she adds.

“‘Just got used to it I guess,” Chanyeol offers weakly, as he slides a bit of fried egg under the table, towards his lap where Baekhyun is still napping -and snoring, quite loudly also. His nose twitches and his ears -flopping down at the moment- go straight for a second when he smells food. He cracks one eye open, then Chanyeol can feel something very wet and sticky on the tip of his fingers and he knows Baekhyun has eaten the eggs. 

“I wonder what will happen when you’ll get a girlfriend,” his mom throws in really casually and Chanyeol can’t stop himself before snorting. His mom just stares askance, but Chanyeol doesn’t meet her eyes.

_Yeah, girls. Right._

He strokes the back of Baekhyun’s sleeping form and the hybrid moves in his sleep.

 

This family trip is just like all the others they’ve had before, with Mrs Lee and Yoora pairing up to go shopping and Baekhyun and Chanyeol being left on their own to explore. Except for some rare cases in which they hang out all together, of course.

They take a proper look at the festival on the third night and they do it as a family. There’s fairy lights and summer tunes blasting from the trucks selling panini and chicken skewers. The air is sticky and Baekhyun is half covered in mosquito bites already, no matter how many times Chanyeol and Yoora help him cover himself in mosquito repellent. 

When they go back they’ve had enough food to be stuffed for days and they even tooks a few family pictures both with their cameras and phones -the ones taken with Chanyeol’s phone are promptly sent to Jongdae and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun sends a couple to Yifan too, along with a smiley face. 

“I feel bad.” Chanyeol mutters, as Baekhyun tries to now cover himself in some kind of antihistamine ointment Yoora has dig up from the bottom of her bag, hoping the mosquito bites don’t swell. 

“Not your fault,” Baekhyun reassures, then he cries out dramatically with a noise from his throat and he kicks the air as he lies down in nothing but boxers and t-shirt on his bed. “It’s itchy as fuck I wanna die Yeol, kill me now.” 

“I think it’s better if you don’t shift tonight, you’ll end up scratching too much.” Chanyeol fumbles with his phone, sends a few smileys in reply to Sehun’s texts and when he looks up again Baekhyun has lifted half of his t-shirt to try and scratch his back.

“Or I could shift and you could give me full body scratches,” Baekhyun proposes, probably not even realizing how _wrong_ it sounds. He’s smirking, in fact, and Chanyeol is unsure whether he’s flustered or just amused at Baekhyun’s bluntness.

He chuckles. “No way. Shut up.”

 

Their balance is always a bit off. Just when it seems like they click just fine, that everything is perfect, something happens and that apparently perfect surface cracks.

They argue because Baekhyun mistakenly turns off the boiler and Chanyeol has to shower with freezing water. Baekhyun apologizes, and it seems like he genuinely feels bad, thinking about it. However Chanyeol just _needs_ to be a dick whenever he snaps, so he calls Baekhyun names and says things he didn’t mean. He raises his voice and at first Baekhyun just looks hurt. Then, he starts yelling louder than Chanyeol. 

Chanyeol burns Baekhyun’s rice by mistake, Baekhyun gets angry and when Chanyeol brings the cold shower episode back, Yoora hits them both on the back of their heads to shut them up. 

No matter what happens during the day and how many insults they throw at each other, at night they still sleep furiously tangled up, as if nothing happened. Baekhyun passive aggressively tells Chanyeol to make some space for him, Chanyeol kicks him when he snores. Baekhyun hardly ever shifts at night now. Chanyeol doesn’t know how that happened, but he doesn’t dislike it. 

 

Chanyeol brings up Jonghyun suddenly one afternoon. It’s completely casual, but for some reason he finds himself returning to the same topic more often than intended. It’s always something along the lines of how he misses the kisses or the touches. That maybe Baekhyun wouldn’t understand. And how he’s heard that sex is addictive, stuff like that. It’s not unusual talk for a sixteen soon to be seventeen year old boy; sex is not something they’ve never talked about. Jonghyun though it’s a new addition to the topic. 

Baekhyun’s reaction is usually neutral, until eventually Chanyeol looks up to check on him and Baekhyun’s face is livid. The hybrid stays silent for a while, while Chanyeol tries to decipher the expression on his face, then he adds a very constipated “Yeah, I guess.” - pulled smile included. Chanyeol is not completely oblivious this time, but he’s stubborn and he prefers not to comment. 

“Yeah,” he echoes, walking towards the door.

 

However, Chanyeol is bound to feel bad multiple times these days. Not because he can be a notorious dick and he knows it, not because of the mosquito bites on Baekhyun’s arms and how Chanyeol lost the only cream they had to relieve the itching. 

No, he feels bad because he’s the one proposing they play Uno on the back porch of the holiday house and he’s the one who chose skinny dipping as the punishment for the loser. So of course Baekhyun loses. Baekhyun is good at board games but Chanyeol is _very good_ at playing Uno. It was a lost battle to begin with, considering the years of practice Chanyeol’s had with Jongdae-the-cheater and Kyungsoo on the beach as kids. They’d switched to D &D and playstation when Baekhyun had joined them, so he’s lacking on the Uno department.

Chanyeol feels bad because he might have chosen that on purpose. He feels even worse because he wasn’t thinking when he’d chosen skinny dipping. He could’ve gone for something generic, like Baekhyun did. _You’ll have to do something I say_ is a good, vague punishment, or so Chanyeol’s sense of guilt trips him into thinking.

Baekhyun is a sore loser but he’s not one to walk away from a bet. When Chanyeol shows his last card- the card that has Baekhyun pick up four cards more- the hybrid knows he’s lost. His lips thin out in a straight line and he frowns with a sigh. 

“We’re doing this I guess,” he murmurs and Chanyeol, like the dick that he is, feeling guilty or not, smirks. 

“Asscheeks to the moon, Byun.” Chanyeol can be really specific when he wants, mirth in his voice and that teasing vein to it. “You’re a coward if you don’t do it.” He does feel bad, he does, but another part of him really wants to see if Baekhyun will get over his shyness and do it.

Baekhyun shrugs as he stands up, apparently unphased. He starts unzipping his hoodie as they walk in the humidity of the summer night towards the pier that juts into the lake. It’s not that cold, considering it’s summer, but Chanyeol wouldn’t be that eager to get naked and dive into the freezing water of the lake. It’s a short walk, and Chanyeol is stumbling behind a very determined hybrid down the path that takes them there. 

_No way he’ll do it_ is all Chanyeol can process. He can’t take his eyes off Baekhyun’s nape, where his black hair blends into his very tanned neck -Chanyeol’s charmed, for some reason. He stops walking at some point, close enough to the pier to still have a good visual of Baekhyun without the risk of Baekhyun throwing him into the water as well -which would be a real possibility after all.

Chanyeol half expects Baekhyun to do just that, and he has half the intention to tease him a little before anything happens, but then Baekhyun takes his hoodie off and whatever Chanyeol had to say gets buried by an odd, not completely unfamiliar sensation.

Baekhyun turns around, he meets Chanyeol’s eyes as he steps off of his flipflops. The hoodie is discarded to the floor fluidly, as if Baekhyun has been practicing how to strip sensually in the last months and Chanyeol had no idea. Soon after he slides off his sweats and boxers together, kicks them to the side. His gaze never leaves Chanyeol’s eyes, as if challenging him to do something. It’s a determined look, it’s endearing, it suits him.

For a moment, when Baekhyun finally takes off the oversized, well worn t-shirt he’d stolen from Chanyeol’s wardrobe months earlier and he stops there completely naked staring at him, Chanyeol almost forgets it’s Baekhyun. 

He forgets it’s Baekhyun because he feels attracted, and he’s never felt this way before about him. He forgets because Baekhyun is standing there, staring, with this look like he wanted to devour Chanyeol alive, tempt him, drag him to hell. Chanyeol’s brain is a mess, his heart, his whole body is a mess.

He notices all the wrong details. How Baekhyun shivers slightly. How there’s goosebumps on Baekhyun’s arms, where the dim light of the solitary lamp at the end of the pier reflects on his skin. How he should’ve noticed he’s lost a bit of weight. How dark his eyes look right now.

Baekhyun tilts his head slightly and Chanyeol could be wrong, but he thinks he can see the shadow of a smile at the corner of the hybrid’s lips, before he turns around. The ears, the corgi tail on his backside -Chanyeol can’t even focus on those. He only sees Baekhyun. 

He swallows, inhales. “Are you jumping or not?” he incites, some brokenness to his voice. It’s more to distract himself that to actually urge Baekhyun. 

“You said asscheeks to the moon. I’m showing my asscheeks to the moon.” Now Chanyeol is sure that Baekhyun _is_ smirking, and he’s shifting his weight on the very edge of the pier. Chanyeol’s eyes linger more than necessary on his shoulders, on his butt. Then, before Chanyeol can even end his panoramic, Baekhyun lets out a very unmanly scream and jumps into the water with a splash.

The surface of the lake breaks into a multitude of waves and a mess of foam, and Chanyeol starts walking towards the pier slowly taking his time. His eyes search for Baekhyun’s form in the water, and when he can’t quite pinpoint where Baekhyun is, he kneels down on the edge of the dock. The wooden planks are wet, they creak when Chanyeol’s body weighs on them.

He has to wait a few moments, then he recoils in slight surprise when Baekhyun re-emerges and he’s way closer than Chanyeol had expected. They could kiss, if Chanyeol got just a bit closer. There’s beads of water on Baekhyun’s eyelashes, Chanyeol notes.

Baekhyun snorts. “Scaredy Yeol.” 

Chanyeol’s heart is beating fast and it’s not because he’s scared. 

Baekhyun grips at the wooden pier to move a bit farther from Chanyeol so he can pull himself up, then out of the water. His teeth are still chattering and he visibly shivers as he hugs his upper arms, forming a puddle on the pier not too far from Chanyeol.

It’s like he doesn’t see him now, though. “So fucking cold…,” he mutters quietly. He bends to fish his clothes up from the ground as fast as he can and that’s Chanyeol’s cue to stand up.

“Shit…” he whispers, palming his face. As he walks back, carefully staring at the path and definitely _not_ at Baekhyun’s naked body, he realizes that the odd sensation just now was arousal. 

 

“I was going to ask you something, if I won,” Baekhyun murmurs as he towels his hair and ears dry in the suffocating warmth of their room. He’s sitting cross legged on his bed, and all that determination, the glint in his eyes from the pier seems to have vanished.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, is still too dumbfounded to be completely _there_. He finds himself glancing up at Baekhyun, and that would be completely natural if it wasn’t for the fact that he can’t shake of the memory of a naked Baekhyun tiptoeing on the pier. His face, water dripping from his hair, way closer than expected.

Chanyeol nods, anyway, only half listening. 

“I lost, but I’m gonna use this instead.” Baekhyun announces. He leaves the towels on the bed for a moment, crouching to take something out from his backpack. It’s a folded piece of paper, it has probably seen better days. “You said to ask you anything, right?”

Chanyeol almost chokes on air when he finally catches up and finally understand what that is. “What...I didn’t think you still had that…” Baekhyun ignores him.

“You said to ask anything so…” He pauses. Chanyeol sees a veil of sadness on the hybrid’s face, but it’s just a moment. It’s gone before he can blink. “Please can you not talk about your- Jonghyun? Please?”

Chanyeol’s mouth just opens and closes a couple times. He finds the piece of paper being shoved into his hands. “What?,” he croaks, and Baekhyun is staring with this apologetic smile. “I mean sure but… You didn’t need to-”

“Thanks.” He cuts Chanyeol off. “Should probably wash teeth and sleep now, shouldn’t we?” Baekhyun fakes a somewhat cheerful tone again, before standing up and leaving for the bathroom. His shoulder slump as soon as he reaches the door and Chanyeol sees that.

He breathes in, out. His chest feels stuffy.

He recognizes his own handwriting on the piece of paper. It’s been so long since he prepared that gift/coupon. Years. It was easier to breathe, back then. 

The orange light of the bed stand should give a warmer, cozier atmosphere but Chanyeol feels empty.   
He just wants to hold Baekhyun right now.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow girls I almost had you waiting for a month :(( I'm so sorry, real life and school suck :(( Istg I can't wait to be back active and free to write again.  
> I'll be finally done with my exams and officially on vacation from the 22nd and I'll be flying back to Italy on the 25th, so I wanted to give you something to fangirl on before Christmas. Let's consider this my Christmas present for all of you who've stuck with me for almost a year.
> 
> It's a good chapter and it's been ready for weeks tbh. I hoped I could start the next one before publishing this, but it wasn't the case :( You'll have to wait a little for that, I hope you understand.
> 
> Enjoy it and suffer a little throughout, then be happy :3
> 
> As usual, this chapter is best appreciated if read listening to this [cliq!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yKPam58LBg&feature=youtu.be)

Baekhyun had been excited the whole summer for Jongin and Sehun to finally upgrade to high school students. He’d thought it would be a nice change, considering how Yifan and him had basically been on their own throughout their first years -not that they wanted to be, it just happened that way. With Sehun and Jongin being freshmen, though, Baekhyun had thought things would get more exciting. And even walking to school with them would be nice, in the morning, he’d thought.

He hadn’t considered Yifan being a creep with Sehun the whole time and Jongin nearly beating the shit out of him -and probably dying, because Yifan is the nicest friend but there’s a reason if people want to keep him that way.

“Can you stop ogling him like that? It’s kinda creepy ‘Fan.” Baekhyun is sitting on the ground between Yifan’s legs, one cheek resting on the inside of his bony kneecap. “And Jongin please he’s not gonna eat Sehun alive please...guys…”

Sehun and Jongin are sitting on a bench across them and Sehun is positively using Jongin as his personal pillow. There’s no way anyone wouldn’t get the hint that the only hybrid Sehun is interested in, at the moment, is Jongin, but Yifan likes his teasing and he doesn’t know how to stop sometimes.

“Why though? It’s fun. And he has a cute butt.” Baekhyun feels Yifan’s fingers ruffle his hair a little and then linger a bit longer, kind of massaging his scalp. “I don’t like his bodyguard though,” Yifan adds, and Baekhyun only half sees him glare at Jongin.

“Hyun…?” Baekhyun’s eyes go to Jongin immediately, raising an eyebrow, but he’s too comfortable on Yifan’s knee to move his head right now. “Has he ever met Kyungsoo?” Jongin questions, and when Baekhyun snickers, both Jongin and Sehun follow quietly.

“Why are you all laughing?” Yifan sounds a bit pissed, and he flicks the back of Baekhyun’s neck only to have him jolt in surprise. Baekhyun rubs the aching spot, turns around a little to meet Yifan’s eyes with a _what the fuck_ expression. “It’s not nice when you’re all laughing and I’m not.”

At least Yifan presses a finger on the spot where he flicked Baekhyun’s head, though it’s not a real apology. Sehun speaks up for himself before Baekhyun can intervene, though. He only turns his head from Jongin’s lap towards Yifan, curls his lips in a smile- a pretty smile, Sehun knows he’s pretty.

“It’s just that it’s not him you should be worried about. That’s why we were all laughing,” he offers, then pulls himself to sit up and cradle both his knees towards his chest. He’s not wearing his uniform trainers and his socks have little Super Marios on them. “Nini is actually pretty nice.”

Baekhyun looks up, involuntarily smiling and Yifan has frozen for a moment. “The ogling. Stop it,” Baekhyun whispers once more, pinching Yifan’s ankle. Yifan almost steps on Baekhyun’s fingers and there’s an exchange of death glares between the two.

“You guys are...close?,” Jongin points out. He sounds dubious, as he and Sehun exchange glances, then both focus on Baekhyun once again.

Baekhyun shrugs, Yifan snorts. “More than I’d personally like, to be honest, but yeah. Covered his butt since day one in this hell of a place,” Yifan shares and purposely closes his legs on Baekhyun- a vague attempt to choke him to death.

“More like I covered yours. I’ve basically fed your smoking habit, idiot.”

Baekhyun hits him on the shins. Sehun and Jongin look really confused at the moment, but Sehun is the first to tilt his head to the side and whisper something into Jongin’s white fluffy ear. Baekhyun notices, he does, but Yifan beats him and talks first.

“Before you go rat me out to Park Chanyeol, we’re really good friends. I’m not hitting on him, he’s not hitting on me.” Yifan pauses, then mirrors Sehun’s pretty smile with a much poorer result- Yifan is definitely handsome, but there’s probably only one person on this planet who’d call him pretty. “I am hitting on you, though. You’re reading the signals alright.”

Baekhyun right out laughs this time, his cheek goes back to Yifan’s knee as he notices how Sehun neck and ears dilute into a vague pinkish hue and Jongin is ready to kill, by the way his fingers are gripping on the edge of the bench.

 

Overall, despite Yifan being a perverted dick sometimes, having the two hybrids around is indeed refreshing. Meeting for lunch on the last floor is almost routine, since all of them are split into different classes they only meet for gym class, after school or breaks.

Also, Baekhyun already knew, but Yifan is nice to both of them. Jongin stops hating on him after Yifan helps him with a shitty situation with a couple of bullies and Baekhyun almost refuses to believe it when Sehun tells him that Jongin started playing basketball with Yifan on Thursday afternoon. It’s good, though, and it’s also nice to see Sehun so confident - Yifan’s flirting can be too much sometimes, but he’s also saying really sweet things to Sehun and that’s cute too.

He’s not genuinely interested, Baekhyun can tell, but Sehun’s mood improving is definitely real hence eventually he stops scolding Yifan for the ogling and things seem to work out on their own.

 

 

 

“Yifan’s pretty cool,” Sehun shares one day while they’re walking back from school. It’s just the two of them today, Jongin has stayed behind to play basketball with Yifan since both of them don’t have any assignment for the day after. Baekhyun doesn’t either, but he’s still a bit reluctant to leave Sehun on his own -their houses are not the closest to school, walking back alone sucks.

“He is. He could probably be my best friend if he wasn’t so obnoxious sometimes.”

Baekhyun chuckles and Sehun just hums back. The autumn air is crispy, yellow leaves are scattered on the streetwalk and the smell of roasted chestnuts is to die for. They stop by one of those carts selling them for cheap, on the way back. Sehun holds both of the cones as Baekhyun pays for both of them.

“It’s nice that you have a friend who is not Chanyeol. I mean, Yifan is not your owner, but you always seem so at ease with him,” Sehun shares, as he stains his fingers black trying to break one chestnut apart. He hisses whenever his fingertips get burned- cute.

“But you do as well. You have me, Chanyeol, Jongdae. All of them are your friends too,” Baekhyun reasons. He’s not sure what Sehun’s trying to say, as he glances at him from time to time. “Yifan was there when things got pretty hard. And sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger, than to a friend…” he drops the sentence, hesitant.

“He became a friend, though.” Sehun’s voice sounds closer when he’s looking towards Baekhyun. He snaps a bite off half a chestnut and he’s still chewing when he feeds Baekhyun another peeled one -the corgi hybrid gets a little taken aback here, but he chuckles in the end.

“Yeah,” he agrees, still munching around the chestnut. “He became a good friend. I guess it’s easier than talking to Chanyeol or you guys because…” He huffs from his nose, shaking his head imperceptibly. “It’s complicated.”

“Do you not trust us?” Sehun questions, with quite the sad, confusing tone. Sehun has always been the best in understanding Chanyeol. Baekhyun has always been kind of jealous of his ability, compared to his complete incapacity to synchronize or even understand Chanyeol sometimes. Though, really thinking about it, Sehun and Chanyeol’s empathy is much closer to what Baekhyun has with Yifan, than it is to what Chanyeol is to Baekhyun.

“It’s just that Chanyeol is a friend, my best friend. But he’s also...a lot more than that. He’s family, he’s my owner, he’s…” He finds himself on the verge of saying something he shouldn’t and his heart skips a bit; the words die in his throat. “And you guys are my friends, but you’re also Chanyeol’s friends and it gets complicated if I have a problem with him...I suck with words. Sorry.”

Baekhyun picks up another chestnut from his own cone and it takes a too much effort to split it open and peel the outer shell.

“It’s...exactly what I was trying to say. Who do I talk to, if my problem is with Kyungsoo and Jongin? Not even Yifan is available now, he’s replaced you with Jongin,” Sehun says, playful but with a hint of sadness there.  
“He hasn’t,” Baekhyun whines dramatically, faking it so badly that even Sehun grimaces. “And I don’t know. Go talk to Chanyeol in those cases. I mean I know he’s their friend too, but he has a soft spot for you. Always had, you damn kitten.”

Baekhyun hits Sehun on the elbow without much thought nor much strength, Sehun stumbles a couple of steps to the side -definitely on purpose. “As if I didn’t know he calls you pup. You can’t win-”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something. “-Nope! You can’t win on this one,” Sehun insists.

Baekhyun stretches his lip into a line, but he’s trying not to laugh. “Shit I was found out. And it’s all Chanyeol’s fault, as usual,” he complains.

“Actually I’ve known for years.”

There’s an awkward silence, as Sehun pronounces the last sentence with a finality to it, as if Sehun isn’t referring to Baekhyun being called pup. Baekhyun’s heart speeds up a little as he searches for Sehun’s gaze, askance. “What?,” he questions, his voice is a bit hoarse at the edges. Sehun tosses another peeled chestnut into his mouth with a flick of his shoulders.

 

Whatever Sehun means with the statement, he doesn’t explain and Baekhyun keeps feeling anxious about it until they say their goodbyes. Baekhyun doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, Baekhyun doesn’t talk about his problems until he’s on the verge of a catastrophic implosion. Baekhyun doesn’t talk about him having very confused feelings about Chanyeol and, even more, he doesn’t want to know about Chanyeol hypothetically having feelings for him that are not in the range of the owner-hybrid emotions.

When he turns around to talk to Sehun again, it’s about videogames. Anything is good as long as it’s not about best friends and Chanyeol. Sehun seems to understand something is off; he doesn’t ask anymore.

 

 

 

“When is your heat coming again?”

The question pulls Baekhyun completely off balance, as he’s sitting on Yifan’s bed, his nose into a comicbook. Or at least his nose _was_ into a comicbook, because as for now he’s staring at Yifan with eyes as big as baseballs -and Baekhyun’s eyes are not even that big to begin with.

He stares, sure, but Yifan is not even focused on him, which allows Baekhyun to try and fake some nonchalance. He calms himself down, pretends that the question hasn’t made him nervous. He fails miserably, when his voice comes out all wrong.  
“I don’t know,” he starts, and Yifan turns around into his swivel chair, then pushes himself with his feet until he’s closer to his bed. He’s wearing a ridiculous pajama with Spongebob on it -Yifan has some really weird taste in clothing, Baekhyun is still trying to figure it out.

“Hyun you promised,” Yifan reminds him and once again Baekhyun feels a bit too defenseless- he shrugs, avoiding Yifan’s gaze. “Nope, you look at me right now.” Yifan’s tone is peremptory. He closes his hand on Baekhyun’s foot and only after a few seconds Baekhyun looks up.

“I know you’re strong and independent and all but you promised, Hyun. You know,” Yifan repeats, a bit more softly. He pats Baekhyun’s foot, his hand is warm at least. Baekhyun huffs from his nose, forcing himself to sound annoyed more than nervous, though he’s a deadly mix of the two.

“I know, I know” he cuts short, his eyes dragging back to the comic, to a stupid detail in a small frame in the corner. “I promise I’ll go before it happens again,” he adds after a few moments of silence where Yifan’s gaze is settled on him, unmoving.

“You should feel it though. I...I do feel it, when a new cycle of heat is coming.”

Yifan sits onto the bed properly, Baekhyun moves a little to make space for him, shaking his head with a breathy snort. “I’ve been restless since last time, ‘Fan. It’s like it left me constantly either horny or angry or snappy, it’s annoying. I’ve fought with Chanyeol the whole summer, it’s...tiring.”

Yifan folds one arm behind Baekhyun’s neck, then reaches up to ruffle his hair lazily, pull at his ear, feeling it with his fingertips. He seems to be having fun. “Which is why I told you to go to the vet. You shouldn’t feel that way all the time, it should be just when a new heat is coming,” Yifan half singsongs, half scolds him. “Your ear is not floppy anymore. You’re growing up Hyun, you’re not a cute little pup anymore.”

Baekhyun should be upset. He’d been upset with Chanyeol when he’d pointed it out continuously, but for some reason he doesn’t feel angry about it anymore. He chuckles lightly. The way Yifan plays with the edge of his ear reminds him of the way Chanyeol does.

“I know I should go to the vet, but I need Chanyeol to go. And I haven’t told him yet,” Baekhyun reminds Yifan as he puts down the comic book and he moves a bit lower onto the pillow. Yifan keeps playing with his ears, but he’s yawning when Baekhyun meets his eyes.

“No,” the great dane hybrid starts around the edge of a yawn. “You can’t go with ‘Myeon, you’re not his hybrid. They keep really fancy databases to make sure we don’t get kidnapped. You need…,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “I’ve been saying it for years but Park Chanyeol is not a bad kid. You’re definitely not a bad kid. You’d work _so_ much better together if you just talked.”

“We fight when we do,” Baekhyun clips back, a speck of disappointment in his voice, considering how many times he’s been saying the same thing to Yifan.

“You do because you’re too proud to actually tell him what the problem is. We’ve had this conversation millions of times Baekhyun, stop being a kid.”

Baekhyun would’ve snapped if anyone else had told him the same word in the same way. He’s ready to snap, but Yifan turns around and pecks Baekhyun’s head to shut him up. It works. Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say, nor how to get angry at that.

“I just want you to be a happy Hyun. And a little less frustrated, maybe.” The space next to Baekhyun when Yifan leaves the bed feels a little empty. “I really need a nap,” Yifan groans as he stretches in the middle of the room.

Baekhyun is not even remotely interested when Yifan takes his shirt off before shifting, quickly, like water adapting to a new container. Baekhyun hasn’t seen him shift that many times since they’ve met, and it’s always funny how Yifan’s oversized puppy form is so much different from his human form.

Yifan sneaks through the door left ajar and Baekhyun follows, slowly. He knows where to find him, it’s not that hard to guess. Junmyeon’s house is only slightly bigger than Chanyeol’s, but it’s really similar in structure. Also, they both have a big couch and a television -it seems most human houses do in a very similar way.

He drags his way to Junmyeon’s livingroom and he’s not surprised to find him there, cross legged on the couch, a newspaper open on the armrest. There’s a complete mess of cups and books on the table in front of him. He’s wearing really dirty specs and his jumper seems to have mixed colors in the washing.

It’s still cute to see how Yifan, who’s always so tough but caring, nestles on Junmyeon’s lap to nap. He’s definitely not a puppy anymore and Junmyeon is not a big person, so Baekhyun is not sure how Yifan fits exactly. His tail swishes a couple times and he suspiciously eyes Baekhyun, before huffing and hiding his face into Junmyeon’s hip.

Baekhyun feels a ping of...is it jealousy? Envy? and it’s so sudden that it leaves him confused for a moment.

“There’s still a bit of space next to me if you feel like it,” Junmyeon offers, vaguely pointing at his left and catching Baekhyun’s attention. The hybrid shakes his head, though.

“The corner will be just fine,” he replies shortly, as he curls up on the couch, a bit far from them. “Also, how do you feel about cat hybrids? I have a friends who could use a new friend right now.”

Junmyeon tilts his head to the side, and Baekhyun hurries to find a picture of Sehun on his phone, trying not to think about cuddles in front of the tv too much. He’ll have to wait for those.

 

 

 

Asterix is a small pub in the university district and it’s hidden in one of the alleyways that run parallel to the main street. It’s considered a place for adults, since they sell alcoholic drinks and their usual clients are university students for the most part. The inside is quite peculiar; graffiti of the french comic Asterix & Obelix start from the very bottom of the walls and go all the way to the ceiling; even the wooden bar has a rustic feel to it along with the old bottles of liquor on display.

The reason why Seulgi’s been allowed to celebrate her birthday here, however, is because Jongdae’s older brother Jongdeok works at Asterix as a bartender and he can make sure nobody gets too drunk or too wild -and make great non alcoholic drinks.

Baekhyun still finds it funny how the Kim brothers are the spitting image of each other -they even have a very similar smell- and yet how Jongdeok likes to remind people that he is the coolest of the two- Baekhyun also remembers how upset Jongdae had been, years before, when Seulgi’d had her first real crush on Jongdeok rather than Jongdae.

Now Jongdae and Seulgi are sitting next to each other, and he’s taking a couple of pictures of her with his phone while she sips her pineapple, orange and apples cocktail. Jongdeok does slide half a solo cup of beer on the table at some point -- his index finger on his lips to tell them to keep it a secret-- but it’s mostly Chanyeol and Jongdae sharing it. The rest, Kyungsoo included, keep having fun with their non alcoholic drinks and it’s not too bad really. Jongdeok is a great bartender.

“It _is_ bad, I was really hoping your brother would let it slide and give us some real alcohol today” Chanyeol complains, taking a sip of the beer Jongdae and him have been sharing until now. It’s half empty already.

“You want my brother to be fired?” Jongdae elbows him and Chanyeol shifts, inevitably leaning a bit on Baekhyun and chuckling. “What happens if we get drunk and people obviously find out there’s minors drinking in a pub?”

“He does have a point though.” Kyungsoo points out from the other part of the table. “What’s with coming to a pub without actually drinking?”

Seulgi shrugs, then closes her lips around the straw of her bubbly pink cocktail -it even has a small paper umbrella in it. “His cocktails are good. I like them.” She shares, propping her chin on her hand. She glances towards Jongdeok and they smile at each other for a moment. A mischievous, clearly affectionate smile. “And it’s my birthday, I really wanted Jongdeok to be here and this was the only way.”

There’s only a few eyes at the table that follow Seulgi’s gaze to Jongdeok and out of those, only Jongin spits it out with a grin. Even Sehun snickers, pretending to hide it behind Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t have a crush for him still?” Jongin questions, leaning on the backrest of the chair -he looks like a teen gangster for a moment.

Seulgi snorts, then flaps a hand in front of her face. “Shut up, you don’t have _any_ right to tease me about it.” Then she raises an eyebrow and a grin follows suit, evil. “Or should we talk about Soo? And how much you like to blabber about him all the time?”  
Jongin doesn’t look so brave anymore. His eyes roam low on the surface of the table and he suddenly looks very focused on Sehun’s hands.

“Yep, I thought so.” Seulgi shares after a few seconds of silence, and everyone laughs except for Jongin, who pouts and says something under his breath. Jongdae pinches Seulgi’s arm and she jumps, though her tail comes up to wrap around Jongdae’s wrist almost immediately. “Don’t roast him too much, he can’t handle it.” Jongdae suggests in a fake whisper, which triggers Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to laugh some more.

“I’m not sure I want to know the details…” Chanyeol frowns, eyeing Jongin and Kyungsoo once again. “Can’t we talk about something else?” Jongin rolls his eyes and Seulgi would probably purr if she wasn’t so against doing it in public.

“One Zero for Seulgi. Sorry Nini she wins this one.” Baekhyun announces. “Nope, pouty facing Kyungsoo won’t make me change the score.” Baekhyun lets Chanyeol play with his fingers, just distractedly glancing up at him when he pulls at them. Nobody seems to notice.

Jongin finally meets Seulgi’s eyes, then he complains some more. “Can you guys stop it? I’m not pouty facing and I don’t talk about Soo all day. Right?” He turns to Sehun and Kyungsoo with pleading eyes, which are really out of character knowing how quiet Jongin usually is. Seulgi really knows how to push anyone’s buttons. “Right?”

Sehun seems comes to the rescue when Kyungsoo diverts his attention to something Jongdae is showing him on his phone. “He...really doesn’t though? What are you talking about?”

Seulgi snorts, once again, then nods skeptically. “Yeah...sure…”

“Why are you making me the protagonist of this conversation anyway?” Jongin questions, possibly kicking Seulgi under the table. Baekhyun is not so sure, his head feels heavy. “We were talking about drinks.” Jongin insists.

Seulgi shrugs one more time and gestures to Jongdeok to bring another round of non alcoholic drinks. He doesn’t sneak a beer on the table this time and Chanyeol and Jongdae are ready to complain about it calling him boring and poop and some more offensive names. Jongdeok shows them his middle fingers and goes back to serving, without much thought. He’s cool, Baekhyun has always thought so.

The music in the pub is not blasting or anything, it’s a pleasant atmosphere with people laughing and enjoying the evening. Baekhyun however starts to feel slightly sick after they get their second round of drinks. He slides the glass on the table so that is closer to Chanyeol’s and folds his arms so that he can rest his head on them.

The music, the constant chatting and even the smells are too overwhelming. They hit him in waves and he’s not sure where it’s coming from, but it makes him want to leave or gag at the same time.  
The others keep talking about some game that has been made into a movie, Baekhyun is not sure. He feels Chanyeol stroking a hand down his back, then hears him murmur into his ear. “Are you ok?”

Baekhyun nods, quickly meeting his eyes reassuringly. “Just a headache,” he says, just loud enough for everyone to hear before he closes his eyes again. Just a few minutes until this … _feeling_ fades.

 

 

He probably dozes off for longer than a couple of minutes, because when he wakes up Jongdae is laughing loudly and Sehun is laughing too, hitting Jongin on the shoulder and he has no idea what they’re talking about. The drinks are emptier than before and Chanyeol is not next to him stroking his back.

“Where’s Yeol?” he questions, mostly looking at Kyungsoo, though it’s Jongdae the one who replies.

“He said he wanted to get some fresh air outside, he’ll be back soon.” He explains, moving closer to Baekhyun and sitting on the empty chair next to him. “Wanna go home?” He raises a hand to press it against Baekhyun’s neck, as if to check his temperature. “How’s your headache?”

Baekhyun feels warm, too warm for it to be just an exhaustion headache. His cheek feel like they’re on fire and the last thing he wants is for his friends to worry too much. He forces a smile, avoiding Jongdae’s hand though being hit by his smell a lot stronger than he would normally. “I’m fine...I’m probably just tired. Don’t you go all protective on me.”

“You don’t look so well though…” Sehun points out, keeping his eyes on Baekhyun. The other mirror him soon and that has the opposite effect to what they hoped. Baekhyun avoids their gazes and shakes his head a couple of times. He even takes a sip of the cocktail -it’s cold and makes him shiver as it runs down his throat.

“It’s fine,” he reassures again, meeting Kyungsoo’s eyes.

The conversation goes back to what it was before -apparently a group that Sehun and Jongdae both like. Baekhyun has never seen them so invested and he would probably throw a comment here and there but he loses the thread so often that he just resorts to watching them. Only Seulgi meets his eyes at some point and right then Baekhyun knows he’s screwed. It’s difficult to lie to Seulgi, women’s sixth sense and all.

“Mind going for a maybe?,” she prompts, walking up to him.

Baekhyun nods slowly and puts his jean jacket -Chanyeol’s- on. When they leave, Jongdeok is having a smoke at the entrance of the pub. He grins at them, then ruffles Seulgi’s hair when she slides her tail around his waist in a playful rather than seducing way. Baekhyun, on the other hand, is busier looking around to find Chanyeol.

It’s quite chilly outside and most people who are not in the pub are standing on the curb in groups of three or four. Most of them are smoking while chatting. Chanyeol is nowhere to be seen and Baekhyun has never been a clingy hybrid; he doesn’t grow that uneasy when Chanyeol is not around for a while and when he does is mostly his corgi half complaining for the absence of his owner rather than Baekhyun being too attached.

Tonight, though, he wants Chanyeol there for some reason. It makes him grow antsy, not knowing where he is. He blames the fact that he doesn’t feel well -he’s the clingiest when he’s sick.

He gives up a after a while and Seulgi and him sit on a bench not too far from the pub.

“Do you really still have a crush on Jongdeok?” Baekhyun questions with a little bit of teasing in his voice. The fresh air helps him breathe easier than inside the pub, but there’s still this weird feeling in the background that he can’t get rid of.

Seulgi snorts, then shakes her head while sipping at the cold drink she took outside. “I never had a crush on him, that was Jongdae misunderstanding as usual.”

“You didn’t?” Baekhyun’s eyes widen and he leans back for a moment, surprised. He’s not up to date with Seulgi’s love life, but everyone made it really clear how jealous of his brother Jongdae was, because of Seulgi having a crush on Jongdeok.

“Nah. I’ve never had a crush for anyone, I don’t think I ever will,” she confirms, sounding way older than she should. Her smile, though, shows how young she actually is. He sleek tail is relaxed, dangling down the side of the bench. Her ears twitch whenever there’s a louder sound from the pub.

Baekhyun chuckles, trying his best not to sound too tired but Seulgi must notice something. She stares a bit longer than necessary, as if she knows Baekhyun is not saying everything.

“You sound thirty, Gee. You’re fifteen, you could have a crush for someone tomorrow for all you know,” Baekhyun notes while his eyes go roam among the crowd.

“I love Jongdae, why would I?” She asks. It sounds as the most natural thing to ever be said, Baekhyun doesn’t even know what he finds so surprising. He stares at her for a few seconds, probably waiting for her to say it was a joke but all she does is shrug again as if to prove her point.

“When did _that_ happen instead?”

“I’m not sure. It’s not like it happened one day, exactly. He’s always there, so I guess it didn’t happen and it only...was? Gradually?”

“You’re not making any sense.” Baekhyun says, but he actually understands. Empathizes almost, though he laughs it off a little. His chest feels stuffy, and his eyes follow an almost automatic trajectory back to the pub.

“I’m fine as long as it makes sense to me.” She bites her tongue playfully and she follows Baekhyun’s gaze, until she focuses onto something - someone in particular. Chanyeol is at the corner of the street, a beer in his hand, talking animatedly with someone that looks like Jonghyun and more people Baekhyun doesn’t recognize.

Whatever the feeling was, that was making him feel sick in the pub, returns lurching at his stomach upon seeing Chanyeol. Baekhyun wonders if he’s just being jealous at this point and in the pan of four seconds he thinks about it again and again until Seulgi breaks the silence.

“Wow I had no idea Chanyeol was popular.”

Baekhyun snorts sarcastically in response, biting the inside of his cheek nervously.  
“Let’s go back.”

The inside of the pub is just like they left it and so is the fact that for Baekhyun it’s like sticking his head in a melting pot of smells and noises way worse than he can handle right now. His heart starts beating faster and he starts finding it difficult to breathe halfway through Sehun’s speech about eels and their mating season.

“Can someone take me home?,” he asks after a while and everyone’s eyes linger on Chanyeol’s empty seat where Baekhyun is sitting right now, looking more dead than alive. He goes back to dropping his head on the table as the others try to come up with a solution.

They don’t think about telling Chanyeol -and half of it it’s Seulgi’s fault because she tells them about Chanyeol chatting outside- not immediately at least.

It’s Kyungsoo who ends up taking Baekhyun home quickly, leaving Sehun and Jongin behind. They walk back in a comfortable silence, but Kyungsoo drapes his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders just in case.

“Are you sure it’s just a headache?,” Kyungsoo asks, while they walk past the park where Baekhyun and Yifan usually meet up.

“No,” Baekhyun admits weakly. “...but I’ll go back and rest, I promise,” he tries in reassurance.

 

 

 

When he closes the door behind his back, being hit by Chanyeol’s scent makes everything harder and easier at the same time. Anyway he breathes in, at least it makes his heart beat at a more normal pace.

The thing Seulgi was talking about, the ‘things just were, gradually’. Baekhyun doesn’t know when it happened, but he started loving Chanyeol as family, as a friend. At some point the _loving_ became _like_ and _love_ and even if Seulgi made it sound like it would make things easier, it’s just making them more complicated for Baekhyun.

Chanyeol finally gets back in the middle of the night and he stinks of beer, like he’s been handed a lot more drinks than what they had on the table tonight. He lifts the covers and gets under them -- his face presses between Baekhyun’s shoulder blades.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve come home with you...I had medicine if you wanted some painkiller I…” He circles an arm around Baekhyun’s waist and Baekhyun ravels in the contact, shimmying back until he’s flush against Chanyeol’s torso and all he can feel is his breath warming up his back.

“It was fine, just a headache,” he repeats for what probably is the fiftieth time today

“It’s not ok…” Chanyeol insists, and he pushes Baekhyun’s hip until he’s lying face up on the bed and Chanyeol is searching for his eyes. “I was chatting with Jonghyun and his university friends or something. They offered some beer. I wanted to go back but they’re older so…” Baekhyun nods in understanding. He even cracks a smile, hitting the on the shoulder. “I just feel really useless now,” Chanyeol continues, and he flops to lying next to Baekhyun, his face in the crook of the hybrid’s neck.

“It’s fine Yeol. I promise I’ll tell you next time.”

There’s a few seconds of silence before Chanyeol replies. “Will you though?”

Baekhyun breathes in. Thankfully the uneasy feeling has subsided apparently. “I’ll try.”

 

 

 

Baekhyun wakes up on edge and with Chanyeol’s hand on his forehead. It takes him exactly 7 seconds to realize what’s going on. He’s sweating but he’s feeling cold, and he’s clearly shaking under the covers; at least Chanyeol’s hand is warm. Baekhyun finds himself leaning into the touch unconsciously, giving himself a green light after noticing that he doesn’t have any collateral problems down there.

“You’re scaring the shit out of me. Hyun are you ok?” Chanyeol words are all slurred because of sleep, and his eyes are half their usual size. Baekhyun stares at him like through a dream, still drowsy, then nods without really knowing what he’s doing.

_It’s flu_ is the only solution he comes up with, and a distant bell inside his brain reminds him that ‘flu’ is exactly what he though last time he was in heat. He thought he was running a fever last time too, but this time it really feels like one

“I think I have the flu,” he murmurs, and he feels his throat aching too. Chanyeol’s hand is gone at the speed of light, but Baekhyun is too sleepy to follow whatever the other is doing.

When Chanyeol has to gently shake him awake, Baekhyun finds out he’d fallen asleep again. Chanyeol has a change of clothes, just like he did last time, and he’s holding a glass of water with some medicine for Baekhyun -special medicine for hybrids probably, Baekhyun can’t be sure. Baekhyun drinks it all in one go, wonders again if it’s really the flu and grimaces when water breaks his slumber.

The room is still dark, which means it’s probably the dead of night. Chanyeol stinks of beer and Baekhyun vaguely feels his eyes on him. For some reason changing clothes with Chanyeol half helping him strip, half helping him wearing more layers feels too intimate. He’s been in the same situation before. There were times where it was Chanyeol with the flu and Baekhyun helping him out of his damp clothes. However something has changed. Baekhyun has changed.

No more words are exchanged, and when is wearing warm, dry clothes again, Chanyeol just climbs on the bed behind him and curls up in fetal position like usual. Baekhyun nudges him to stretch and Chanyeol does, without even looking -his eyes are closed. For once Baekhyun is not sleeping like a starfish and Chanyeol hugs him closer.

 

 

 

Baekhyun keeps going on with the _it’s the fever_ mantra since morning, after whining because he has a test to go through and he really doesn’t feel like taking it. Mrs Lee takes him to school with the car because he really doesn’t look good. She asks him to call if anything is wrong, then reminds him like five times that Chanyeol can go pick him up, he has permission for that. All the usual stuff.

He keeps being convinced that it’s just a flu, mostly because differently to what happened last time he’s cold rather than hot. He’s on edge just the same, though, which confuses him but he decides to swallow yet another pill of cold medicine and survive through fourth period.

“You don’t look ok,” Sehun notes as they walk the corridor from Baekhyun’s class to the cafeteria for lunch. There’s a lot of students around, endless chattering and a cocktail of hundreds of teenagers all hanging out together regardless of the species of their hybrid half. Hybrid school has its own charm.

It loses it, though, especially when so many people have been asking Baekhyun the same question since morning. Like they suspect something, like they’re waiting for Baekhyun to explode like a ticking bomb like last time, when everyone had enjoyed the show.

“Flu, told you,” Baekhyun repeats, tiredly. He walks closer to Sehun just so he can rest his head on the upper part of his arm. Sehun lets him, at first, then he circles Baekhyun’s shoulders with his arm and they close the distance with the doors of the cafeteria like bros.

Jongin joins them after a while, and he’s caught quite the bad cold. He’s a mess with a runny nose and three stashes of used tissues in every available pocket. Sehun being Sehun keeps a distance from the germs, but he stays close to Baekhyun, even nosing his ears every now and then.

It makes Baekhyun feel even more restless. When Sehun leaves a smooch on his head Baekhyun closes his eyes and exhales.

_It’s not the flu_ is written inside his head like one of those Las Vegas signs with all the shiny light bulbs and the fancy dancers under it. _Flu my ass_

When he opens his eyes again, he’s not cold anymore and both Jongin and Sehun are studying him attentively, Jongin behind his thick specs, Sehun with a spoonful of porridge held in front of his eyes.

“Baekhyun you’re not running a fever,” Jongin comments in a whisper. Sehun gets there a little later, but he’s equally surprised when it hits him.

“Nope…” Baekhyun manages to say, as he jolts out of the chair as fast as he can. He starts to feel it too, to smell it. He’s had it once, he thought it would be more than enough to recognize the signs and _prevent_ this shit to happen _again_. However he hadn’t taken into account how stubborn he can be -and how scared the idea of heat makes him.

Even now he’s terrified. He looks around the cafeteria quickly, and it doesn’t take long to realize that there’s many people. _Too many_ people. The place is packed and every one of these hybrids will smell the heat off Baekhyun very, very soon.

Baekhyun is on the verge of a panic attack. He can’t move, he feels his cheeks heat up and suddenly that cold sensation he was feeling until now it’s not cold anymore and he feels hot all over. His eyes meet Sehun’s and he must look truly desperate, because it’s Sehun dragging him out of the cafeteria, covering him with his own blazer.

There’s people snickering in the corridors when they pass by. Baekhyun only half sees a couple of people pointing at them, but the overwhelming sensation of heat hits him bad by the time they’re halfway to the infirmary and he presses himself against Sehun with a moan.

“No what the hell it’s your first heat, I’m calling Chanyeol,” Sehun prompts and they stop in the middle of a fairly deserted corridor. “I don’t think we can make it to the infirmary. The restroom will have to do, alright?”

Jongin follows behind them, Baekhyun realizes only because he hears his voice and he suddenly appears next to Sehun, helping him hold Baekhyun upright.

They take him to the bathroom and make him sit on a toilet stall. Baekhyun wants to laugh, hysterical, because he doesn’t need to sit down. He needs to get rid of the pull, of the fire burning through his veins. He needs someone to touch him or even touch himself, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t need a toilet stall.

 

_What do we do?_

 

Someone asks. It’s followed by the noise of a door opening, then someone else is talking, a voice Baekhyun can’t recognize as his hand travels down to his crotch and he exhales and the imperceptible sensation of relief.

 

_Hey get outta here!_ someone else yells. It’s all so confused.

 

_Shit it’s strong...should it be this strong?_

 

Baekhyun can’t recognize every voice. He keeps pressing his hand down, his fingers blindly search for the button on his slacks without much success -his fingers just linger there, hesitant. Sehun shakes Baekhyun’s shoulder slightly and he’s forced to open his eyes.

“Hyun what do we do?”

Baekhyun’s head is a flurry of different, very contrasting thoughts at the minute. Even Sehun would do for all he knows -anything, as long as he can get to a low for a moment. Yet he’s rehearsed this before, it’s a scene that’s familiar to him, except that instead of Sehun there was Junmyeon to ask him what he wanted.

“Call Yifan,” he manages, and Sehun is gone before Baekhyun can clarify -even if he had no intention to begin with.

Baekhyun closes his eyes and lets the waves of heat wash over him, as the urge to get rid of all of his clothes gets more pressing. He can hear Jongin’s steps on the floor of the school bathroom -he feels kinda bad. He knows Jongin will probably smell like pheromones for the rest of the day and that it will be obvious to the rest of the hybrids.

There’s some more noise coming from the door, probably Jongin preventing people from coming in, Baekhyun can’t be entirely sure. He curls on himself, his knees pressed against his stomach as he tries to breathe slowly. Inhale, exhale.

When he feels the same ache in his groin, pulling from within. It hurts and he half groans, half cries out in pain, as he hugs his knees tighter. He buries his head into his knees and lets out a sob of frustration. His cheeks are in flames, it feels like someone pouring a bucket of lava on him which makes him more and more aroused but also more and more frustrated. He can smell the scent strengthening -there’s no teacher dragging him to the infirmary this time.

Then someone -Jongin?- grabs his shoulders, massages them vigorously.

“Hang on, Baekhyun-ah, come on.” Yes, it’s definitely Jongin. Baekhyun cracks one eye open and he realizes his vision is blurry -tears. He hadn’t cried during his first heat and here he is, in a bathroom stall crying his eyes out while moaning incoherently.

He leans forward to rest his head on Jongin’s shoulder. His hand automatically searches for the button to his own slacks once again. He pulls it open. Jongin doesn’t notice or, if he does, he doesn’t say anything at Baekhyun’s hand sneaking into his own pants. He doesn’t comment Baekhyun’s low whimper as he desperately tries to make the ache, the pull retreat a little.

Baekhyun knows it’s useless. He knows that until he will _really_ touch himself or let someone else touch him, he’ll stay like this. He’s had many scary experiences in his life, from when he was dropped to the shelter by his first family, when he met Chanyeol and left the shelter with him without knowing if he will be back. Nothing, however, can beat how scary being alone and in heat feels.

Yifan was right from the beginning. He should’ve said something to Chanyeol, he should’ve gone to the vet. There’s a reason why suppressants exist. This shouldn’t be happening.

It shouldn’t.

Jongin’s grip on Baekhyun’s shoulder gets a little stronger for support, as Baekhyun’s body weighs on him. Baekhyun’s fingers curl around the shape of his dick, the fabric of his boxers in the way. He digs his teeth into his bottom lip, furrows his brow in concentration, trying to feel at least some pleasure from it and he moans when the flow of heat hits again and it _does_ feel good.

 

 

Baekhyun doesn’t know how long it takes- it could’ve been minutes or half an hour. At some point he hears Sehun yelling insults at someone and this someone muttering something in return that Baekhyun doesn’t catch.

Jongin’s grip on his body goes slack, then he gradually lets him go and Baekhyun just lets himself slomp back against the toilet lid, panting.

“Hyun-ah. Can you stand? We’re going, c’mon.”

Yifan’s voice is calming. He sounds like he knows what he’s doing, as he grabs Baekhyun arm and lets it circle his own neck. He keeps his grip on it so that Baekhyun doesn’t let go, and Baekhyun shakes his head.

“I’m...sorry... I can’t stand up,” he stammers, hand Yifan hoists him up so that half of Baekhyun’s weight is on him. His legs feel like jelly. He tries hard to put some strength into them to walk on its own, but his lower body won’t agree. So he just curls his arm around his own waist and buries his face into Yifan’s shoulder, breathing in.

“I told you to go to the damn vet _before_ this happened again Hyun,” Yifan scolds him, as he drags Baekhyun outside of the bathroom. Baekhyun, on the other hand, doesn’t look back to check on Sehun and Jongin behind them.

“I know…,” Baekhyun manages. His voice sounds weak and he has no spirit to give some mirth to his tone right now. He feels mortified as, just like last time, he finds himself pressing against Yifan’s thigh, humping as soon as they stop walking for a second.

Halfway towards the school gate Yifan just gets tired of Baekhyun grinding against him -and the fact that he basically has to move him around. “You won’t like this, but it’s faster,” he announces before crouching, then putting an arm under Baekhyun’s knees to pick him up bridal style -which Baekhyun, indeed, would never allow.

He’s shaking so much right now, though, and the time in between each explosion of electricity under his skin has become so short that he doesn’t have the strength to complain. He takes a glimpse of Yifan looking at him -his expression is worried sick and Baekhyun feels a pang into his chest when he notices. So he looks away, closes his eyes and lets the heat take control.

 

 

The next thing he remembers he’s naked on Yifan’s bed, there’s cum on his stomach and Yifan’s hand is around his dick. He doesn’t look disgusted, no. His expression is closer to relief as he meets Baekhyun’s eyes. At least he’s still wearing their school uniform shirt and boxers and he’s not completely naked.  
“Are you better now?,” He asks, as he retreats and searches for wet tissues or something similar. We walks around his room slowly, his eyes constantly checking on Baekhyun. It makes him feel a bit uncomfortable.

“Yeah. Stop looking at me like I’m a ticking bomb please, it’s embarrassing,” he shares, as he sits up on the sheets. When Yifan closes the distance between them he’s offering a wet towel and a t-shirt with a faint smile. It looks forced almost.

“It wasn’t like this last time, I...I was really scared Byun Baekhyun.”

Yifan sits on the edge of the bed. Baekhyun looks at him attentively as Yifan’s hands close on his own knees and he focuses on the floor after Baekhyun takes the wet towel from his hands first, then the t-shirt.

“It must be because they gave me suppressants last time and I didn’t have any this time instead,” Baekhyun murmurs back, his voice weak and a bit strained. He cleans himself up and even if the heat seems to have retreated enough to leave him conscious of what’s happening around him, he’s still wary.

He wears the t-shirt -glad it’s one of Yifan’s, hence long enough to cover what needs to be covered without Baekhyun having to put too much effort into it.

“I TOLD-” Yifan raises his voice, turning around to stare at Baekhyun accusingly for a moment. Then whatever resolve he had dies instantly when Baekhyun flinches, shutting his eyes closed. “I told you to fucking talk to Park Chanyeol. Go to the vet. Get some suppressants...Byun I’m ok helping you. We’re friends, I get it. Just...the suppressants will help,” he explains. He sounds tired. “And I will too, if Chanyeol doesn’t want to have anything to do with this.”

His hand reaches for Baekhyun’s ankle, squeeze a little. It’s a common gesture for Yifan, similar to Chanyeol’s habit of touching Baekhyun’s hair or nape. Baekhyun nods, distant.

“What do you _really_ feel Hyun? Talk to me, mh?” Yifan squeezes Baekhyun’s ankle some more, Baekhyun is forced not to avoid his gaze this time.

“I want to go home,” he whispers, starting. He pauses and checks if it’s enough for Yifan, as his fingers curl into the mess of sheets underneath him. Yifan keeps his eyes fixed on him. “I wanted to go home even last time ok? You were right. Home is better. But I can’t.”

“Who says you can’t?” Yifan questions, exasperated. He stands up and Baekhyun follows his movements from the bed, as he hastily puts on some pants he’d left hanging on a chair, then he stops in the middle of the room once again. “And my hand on your dick feels just as awkward as it felt last time Hyun. I love you, but I don’t think we can do this forever. Also, not with my owner in the room next to this one.”

Baekhyun inhales sharply, as he feels the flames of heat tickling his body once more. He closes his eyes, hopefully it’s just temporary. “I promise I’ll tell him when this is over. I can’t...he can’t see me like this ok? I’d rather die.”

“Oh God, again? Already?” Yifan gets closer immediately, a worried expression planted on his face. He almost looks ridiculous. He covers the side of Baekhyun’s neck with a hand, as if checking his pulse. “Shit you really need suppressants.”

“I swear this is the last time ‘Fan,” Baekhyun slurs, and Yifan is fast to hover over him once more with a hoof.

“It’s ok, Hyun, it’s fine,” he reassures, as he pulls up Baekhyun’s t-shirt awkwardly, like a dejà-vu. “C’mon, let’s get you to a low again.”

 

 

Just like during last heat, Baekhyun keeps his eyes squinted shut most of the time. He holds on Yifan’s arms, lets him do the job while he spreads his legs a little wider on the sheets. Yifan rarely touches more than he should and when he does venture lower is more to tease than anything. His fingers graze where necessary to get Baekhyun some relief, but they never kiss. They never look at each other in the eyes more than is needed.

Baekhyun forces himself not to think, not to let his mind wander too much.  
It’s just him, the heat and hands on his body.

Yifan jerks him fast, like usual, and when Baekhyun glances up at him he’s staring at the wall in concentration, as if he wasn’t hard himself. Baekhyun moans, low, his head falling back into the pillow when a charge of pleasure runs through him like lightning, then everything stops.

He furrows his brows in confusion for a moment, and finds himself reaching for Yifan’s hand blindly because he wants it back where it was. Fingers curled around his dick, the other massaging his inner thigh. He even whimpers faintly- and hates himself for it.

“Wait,” is all Yifan says, and Baekhyun breathes out, impatient, as the heat presses, urges him to just get it over with the waiting and go back to the touching. Beyond the heat, though, Baekhyun hears voices -loud voices in the house.

He cracks his eyes open, searching for some kind of explanation on Yifan’s face, then when he hears one familiar voice along with Junmyeon’s, outside of the room, his heartbeat spikes up and he suddenly can’t breathe.

He’s panting, and Yifan is quickly to distance himself from him, lowering the oversized t-shirt Baekhyun is wearing so that nothing is exposed.

Baekhyun feels like choking.

The burning sensation of heat is stronger than ever, added to the adrenaline and the fact that Baekhyun can’t breathe. He’s panting, shallow, his hands gripping at the t-shirt, the sheets, trying to grip at something.

“Why is he here? Yifan?” It sounds like he’s begging, as Yifan hands him a pair of briefs.

When Baekhyun’s hands shake too much to wear them himself, Yifan ends up doing half of the job of pushing the fabric up Baekhyun’s legs.

“Hyun it’s ok. It’s fine, everything’s gonna be fine,” Yifan reassures him, as the voices become louder and Baekhyun forces himself to close his eyes and breathe in deep with very scarce results.

 

_What the hell have you been doing with Baekhyun?_

 

_Why don’t you tell me? Ask yourself why he’s here instead._

 

Baekhyun’s breathing catches every time he inhales, a whimper escaping his lips when he’s not torturing them with his teeth. Yifan pushes the other’s head on his shoulder, stroking down his spine for comfort and Baekhyun lets him -he’s as rigid as a plank.

Yifan keeps whispering to calm down, incessantly. _Calm down_ , _it’s fine_ he says, but Baekhyun just can’t handle it. His senses are all over the place and he can’t breathe and Chanyeol is there. He doesn’t know what to do. Chanyeol can’t be there.

This is not how he wanted things to go.

He moans into Yifan’s shoulder because he’s still fucking horny when his- Chanyeol is outside of that room and he will soon see Baekhyun in this state. He closes his legs together, curling up while sitting on the edge of the bed.

Yifan distances himself a little and Baekhyun can feel his fingers ruffle his hair.  
When Baekhyun looks up Yifan’s gaze slowly moves towards the door -the click of the doorknob follows.

Baekhyun swallows and his stomach churns -at this point he doesn’t know if it’s nausea of just the heat messing with him. He doesn’t care. He keeps staring at the floor; hee can only see the point of Chanyeol’s shoes in front of him --he must have been in such a hurry that he forgot to take her shoes off at the entrance.

“Hyun-ah…,” Chanyeol calls him and Baekhyun breaks down.

He starts sobbing.

It’s like a dam breaking. He feels the tears coming and feels even more ridiculous because he’s crying for...what exactly? He can’t stop, though, and when he tries to he only manages to furiously pant and then cry some more.

His arm goes to cover his face as he cries into the crook of his own elbow. His cheeks are still flushed, the scent of pheromones is so strong in the room that Baekhyun is not sure how Yifan is not freaking out. However Chanyeol can’t be affected. Chanyeol can only see him with his hair in a messy mop and an obvious erection half covered by his t-shirt.

This is not how Baekhyun wanted things to go.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, must be frozen on the spot. He makes a sound like he just swallowed a hiccup and Baekhyun hears his steps approaching, slowly.

“Baekhyun-ah-” Chanyeol calls again. Is voice is somewhat constrained, with a good amount of confusion if Baekhyun is interpreting correctly.

Baekhyun sobs through a moan and folds himself in half, his forehead touching his knees when a wave of heat hits and he can do absolutely nothing.

A couple more tears roll down his cheeks onto his bare legs.

Baekhyun doesn’t cry in front of people. He’s a solitary cryer. He breaks down when he’s frustrated or embarrassed, when he doesn’t know what to do. Chanyeol has always seen him _after_ crying but this- this is a first.

Baekhyun _knows_ Chanyeol must be panicking because he _knows_ Chanyeol -Chanyeol who tries hard to help everyone when he can, even if he’s the most oblivious kid on the planet.

He didn’t want Chanyeol to feel helpless seeing him in heat. Didn’t want to ruin their already unstable relationship...Didn’t… There’s a lot of things Baekhyun wishes had gone differently.

He feels his blood boiling in his veins, his body thrumming to be touched -he groans and a guttural sounds of Baekhyun trying to breath through tears and snot comes through. He hears Chanyeol puff some air from his nose, then there’s a hand on the side of his head, caressing down to the back of Baekhyun’s neck. It stops when it’s between Baekhyun’s shoulder blades -breathing feels less like dying, when Chanyeol is touching him.

When Baekhyun opens his eyes -the room blurry and his eyes probably twice the size they normally are- Chanyeol is standing in front of him with the saddest smile on his face. He’s not disgusted, not grimacing or anything. He just looks...sad.

“Let’s wait until you’re in a low to talk, alright?,” he prompts. “I’ll wait outside ok?” His voice breaks a little at the end, as if he’s trying to hide what he really feels for once. Chanyeol who’s always so open and impulsive about everything.

Chanyeol nods towards Yifan in understanding. Baekhyun’s heart drops lower in his stomach and he’s back biting down hard on his bottom lip.

When Baekhyun back in a low and the constant burning is back to a comfortable white noise in the background, there’s still tear streaks on Baekhyun’s cheeks. He wipes them off harshly with the back of his hand, as Yifan leaves the room.

 

 

Baekhyun half expects Chanyeol to storm in with an army, yelling at Baekhyun how much of an idiot he is. On the other hand, he also trusts Chanyeol enough to know he wouldn’t -and he doesn’t.

He looks really young when he walks in, dragging his feet -he’s gotten rid of the shoes, his head hung low. He reminds Baekhyun of the first day they met, when he’d entered the hybrid shelter’s playground all gloomy because he wanted a dog, not a hybrid.

Then Chanyeol peeks through his eyelashes, focusing on Baekhyun and he tries to smile, reassuring, once more. Baekhyun bites the inside of his cheek -he’s not ready for this.

“Hyun can we talk now?” Chanyeol asks. He’s tired, he sounds like someone who expects a _no_ as an answer.

Baekhyun nods, imperceptibly. He avoids Chanyeol’s eyes, pulling his legs on the bed to sit cross legged now that he’s dressed and his body feels satiated.

“ _Really_ talk?” There’s emphasis on that ‘really’.

Chanyeol stops right in front of the bed, sticks his hands into the pockets of his trousers -he’s still wearing his school uniform. It’s messy and his shirt’s buttons don’t match.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun starts. His heart catches up again, his fingers play with the hem of the sweatpants Yifan just gave him. “I-”

“Sehun told me. He asked me if maybe I didn’t know that I should take you to the vet, since you’re having your first heat.” Chanyeol stops mid sentence and comes closer. He reaches out with his hand. His index lightly touches Baekhyun’s knee first, then he does the same with his knuckle. “But this is not your first, right?”

Baekhyun swallows, hesitant, then he shakes his head. “It’s not,” he says, his voice low.

“You don’t trust me, right?,” Chanyeol asks around the edges of a breathy laugh. He sits on the bed next to Baekhyun and the mattress dips for Chanyeol’s weight. He doesn’t stop touching Baekhyun’s knee shyly.

“I do trust you,” Baekhyun murmurs. It’s his finger grazing the back of Chanyeol’s hand now. Feathery touches, yet they somehow feel more intimate than all the stuff Baekhyun’s done with Yifan months ago and, again, today.

“You’ve been lying to me for months Hyun. What were you afraid of, exactly?” Chanyeol catches the point of Baekhyun’s finger between index and thumb and just leaves it like that.

“I...know you’re a hybrid. I’ve known since forever what happens at some point with hybrids. I was ready to be there and take you to the vet and to all the possible check ups so that you didn’t have to go through this. So...why?”

Chanyeol searches for Baekhyun’s gaze, from the corner of his eyes, waiting for a reaction of sorts. Baekhyun on the other hand curls his finger around Chanyeol’s and keeps focusing on the floor.

He doesn’t know what to say, at first. He just feels his heart tightening a bit more for each word Chanyeol is telling him. For the fact that he’s still touching Baekhyun’s finger as if to keep him there. To let him know that _it’s ok_.

“I didn’t want to screw everything up,” Baekhyun murmurs at some point. “We...haven’t been the best at this...owner-hybrid thing for a while now.” It’s his turn to curl his lips up in a smile that tastes bitter.

“I clearly remember us in my room, years ago. I remember asking what was wrong, that I knew- Hell, I know _now_ that I was a dick. But you never explained Hyun.” Chanyeol voices breaks a little again. He doesn’t sound like he’s crying or anything. Just his sentences turn into a stutter so he stops to prevent that. “So _please_ tell me what’s wrong. I’m just...I feel so useless now that I really don’t know what to do.”

Baekhyun remembers too. He remembers that conversation and remembers being too hurt to tell Chanyeol what the problem was. He remembers not shifting for months in front of him, in spite of what he said.

Baekhyun is tired of lying, tired of keeping himself at a distance because he’s too afraid of being hurt. “When you’re a hybrid and your owner tells you they didn’t want you it’s painful,” he explains as calmly as he can manage. “Especially if that thought keeps coming back again and again. And then you don’t shift for months and your best friend doesn’t realize, so you build a wall and pretend it doesn’t hurt.”

“You-” Chanyeol tries, but Baekhyun cuts in again, because the damn wall has just collapsed and nothing is stopping him now.

“...And then just when things seem to get better and your best friend seems to be able to see you again your heat comes. I just couldn’t tell you because what if you just freaked out? You wanted a damn dog Chanyeol, dogs don’t need their owners to jerk them off so that they don’t…” Baekhyun groans and he pulls his finger away from Chanyeol’s, bringing it to his lips. He nibs at his fingernail, nervously.

“Shit.” Chanyeol says, and then nothing.

Baekhyun looks up, unsure if disappointedly or askance.

“Shit.” Chanyeol repeats, and he stands up. “I- Shit Baekhyun you- ah…” He palms his face, then looks at Baekhyun like he’s seeing him for the first time in months. He comes closer and before Baekhyun can avoid it, Chanyeol is cupping his face and resting his own forehead against Baekhyun’s for a couple of seconds.

Baekhyun’s heart goes wild, a vague veil of pink comes up from his neck to the point of his nose at the sudden…is it display of affection? Baekhyun feels his tail move unconsciously and mentally chastises himself because he’s getting confused all over again.

Chanyeol’s hand are still on Baekhyun’s face when Chanyeol draws back. “I’m gonna say this once, because I’m so mad for never tackling this earlier and damn it, for not insisting. Hyun-ah you kept all of this shit to yourself, what the hell were you waiting for?” He asks, but he doesn’t expect like he wants an answer. “You were miserable for all this- _shit_ I’m-”

Baekhyun never expected this reaction. He stays there, rigid, still too insecure to show anything other than a blank face. Baekhyun is confident in many things, but when it comes to being exposed like this, he’s lost.

“Baekhyun...shit- if I had to go back to...whatever many years ago it was to the damn pet shelter- If I had to I would make the same decision and I would choose you over a stupid dog a million times,” Chanyeol lets go of Baekhyun’s face and his hands go rest on both of Baekhyun’s knees -Baekhyun still sitting cross legged on the bed.

Baekhyun who’s biting the inside of his lips because his hybrid half is going crazy and if Baekhyun let it win, then he would be all over Chanyeol already. As usual he contains himself, forces himself to stay still even if his tail betrays him.

“I was a dick. I was .. the dickest of dicks.”

Baekhyun chuckles low at that and Chanyeol mirrors him with a small chuckle of his own. “You still are, sometimes.”

“I’d still choose you Hyun ok? Let’s end this wall thing please. I’d rather be an emotional punching ball than know that - it’s been _years_ Byun Baekhyun.” Chanyeol puts emphasis on that and Baekhyun just shrugs _not important_. Chanyeol punches him lightly on his knee, before levering on it again.

“Oh and also...what was this.” Chanyeol distances himself enough to push his hand into his pocket and fish something out of it. The damn coupon -Baekhyun had no idea Chanyeol was still carrying it since then, when he gave it back.

“What’s wrong with that?,” he questions, and he looks into Chanyeol’s eyes now with the determination he didn’t have just ten minutes earlier. “I played by the rules. I asked for something and you have to do it.”

“Yeah but you don’t need a coupon to ask me not to talk about a guy I had a fling with this summer. You take this thing back and use it properly next time,” Chanyeol shares, and he pushes the piece of paper into Baekhyun’s hand. “Was it too much information? You didn’t want to hear me talking about it because it was...too personal?”

Baekhyun is blunt when he replies at this point, and his eyes are fixed on Chanyeol’s face -he doesn’t have anything to lose at this point.

“It’s annoying to hear you talk about it. I feel...I don’t like it. And I still don’t understand if it’s because it’s me being territorial over my owner or me being jealous of the guy I like. It drives me mad so please don’t talk about it.”

Chanyeol stays silent, his lips drawn in a thin line for one, two, three seconds. Baekhyun reads confusion in every imperceptible change of his expression and it’s clear that Chanyeol is fighting some kind of internal battle alone, right now.

“I...don’t know what to say,” Chanyeol murmurs, unsure. It makes Baekhyun’s heart skip a beat and he feels the need to look elsewhere because even if Baekhyun can handle rejection, his whole hybrid being can’t handle it so easily.

“I’m...not sure what people do in these cases,” Chanyeol continues, hesitating. “It’s just...it was very sudden.”

“I get it,” Baekhyun spits out, sounding a bit more irritated than he intended to -and hurt. Chanyeol raises his eyes immediately and blinks, taken aback.

“No…,” he starts, trying to reformulate. “I mean…,” he stutters, trips on his words, so he ends up resting his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders and squeezing. Baekhyun is not sure if he’s trying to calm himself down or have the same effect on Baekhyun. The points of his ears are fiery red. “...It was very sudden…,” he repeats. “but maybe we should try...and see?”

“Mh?”

“What if we find out if it’s you liking me or you being territorial over me?” Chanyeol prompts, tentative. “Maybe give us some time to talk things out...and I don’t know...try?”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow and he loosens up his legs letting them dangle down the side of the bed. Chanyeol loosens the grip on Baekhyun’s shoulders, then he smiles a bit coyly.

“I should probably find out too...what my feelings are, shouldn’t I?”

Baekhyun feels hot all over and it’s not the heat this one time. It’s because Chanyeol has said that _there are_ feelings and Baekhyun knew even before, he’s not an idiot. Having a confirmation, though, his heart could pop out of his chest. He scoffs lightly, but his emotions are everywhere and he feels like exploding. His eyes are still a bit swollen and his head hurts for all the crying. His heat is in a low but for all he knows it could start soon.

But Chanyeol has asked him to try.

“Let’s try then,” he agrees with a little less enthusiasm than expected. Chanyeol seems used to it though.

“Let’s go home first, then. I don’t know how I feel about Yifan with his hands on your dick, as much as I like the guy.”

“I thought you hated him.”  
“I’m confused, I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Baekhyun snorts, but he’s smiling when he kicks Chanyeol’s shin. “Yeah anyway. Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? :3  
> Was it a good Christmas present? Hopefully it was. Be ready for all the Chanbaek cuddles that will follow. Heh.
> 
> Merry Christmas my lovely cookies! Let's enjoy it listening to EXO and reading all the good stuff. I hope all of you have the best time with your family and friends. See you all very soon <3
> 
> Also, as usual, you can find me @/roseygrid on twitter. You all know how much I love to chat.

**Author's Note:**

> Told you there would've been some hot developments.
> 
> ps. Don't worry I'll keep the cute, trust me on this.  
> pps. You can find me on twitter @roseygrid ( I love to chat, please don't hesitate to talk to me çç I swear I'm not scary ) and I also made a [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/aestaeticism) ! Come say hi, it looks pretty sad rn LOL


End file.
